Yttrium-90 beta emission (Y-90)

Yttrium-90 is a radioactive isotope used in medicine for its emission of high-energy beta particles that cause ionizing radiation damage within tissues. This effect is not due to molecular targeting, but rather the physical delivery of cytotoxic radiation. Yttrium-90 is incorporated into radiopharmaceuticals (e.g., conjugated to monoclonal antibodies or embedded in microspheres) used in radioimmunotherapy and selective internal radiation therapy for treating cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastatic colorectal cancer. The therapeutic effect arises from the direct deposition of beta radiation in the tumor microenvironment, leading to localized cell death while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue due to the limited penetration range of the emitted particles[1][3][5][6].

Other names

Yttrium Y-9090YYttrium-90 radioisotope

Delivers high-energy beta radiation to induce DNA double-strand breaks and necrosis in targeted tissue