Cancer Glossary » Y

yin and yang In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang are opposite forces that form a whole. Everything contains both yin and yang in a balance that is always changing, such as hot and cold, day and night, and health and disease. In traditional Chinese medicine, disease is diagnosed and treated based on the balance of yin and yang.

YM598 A substance that is being studied as a treatment for advanced prostate cancer and for pain caused by prostate cancer that has spread to the bone. It belongs to the family of drugs called endothelin ETA receptor antagonists.

yttrium (IH-tree-um) A rare elemental metal. A radioactive form of yttrium is used in radiation therapy and some types of immunotherapy.

yttrium Y 90 DOTA-biotin A compound that contains the radioisotope yttrium Y 90 linked to the chemical biotin. Biotin is a molecule that binds strongly to the chemical streptavidin. Yttrium Y 90 DOTA-biotin will find tumor cells in the body that have been targeted by an antibody linked to streptavidin and kill them. It is being studied together with CC49-streptavidin in the treatment of cancer.

yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan An anticancer drug that is a combination of a monoclonal antibody and a radioisotope (yttrium-90). Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced substances that can locate and bind to cancer cells. Also called IDEC-Y2B8 monoclonal antibody.

yttrium Y 90 SMT 487 A substance that is being studied as a treatment for cancer. Also called yttrium Y 90-DOTA-tyr3-octreotide.

yttrium Y 90-DOTA-tyr3-octreotide A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer. Also called yttrium Y 90 SMT 487.