Erlanger Radiation Oncology was the first in Tennessee to treat choroidal metastasis, a type of eye cancer, with a new Y-90 radiation therapy this past December.
Officials said, "Prior to this new treatment option, ocular tumors have been treated using low-dose radiation to the eye over the course of a week. This Y-90 treatment uses a high-dose beta radiation disc guided by a handheld wand to target and treat the area within just a couple minutes."
“We are thrilled to provide this first-of-its-kind cancer therapy for patients in the Chattanooga area,” said Dr.
Ryan Cleary, Erlanger’s medical director for radiation oncology. “Our team is committed to deliver the most advanced, effective treatments close to home.”
According to Dr. Asghar “Abbas” Haider, vitreoretinal surgeon and ocular oncologist at Southeastern Retina Associates, the Y-90 treatment offers our team of eye specialists a new, fast and focused tool in our toolbox to treat eye cancers. “This treatment allows for the tumor and the retinal detachment to shrink away and the patient’s vision to be saved,” adds Dr. Haidery.