Diseases and conditions

What is an interventional radiologist’s role in cancer care?

Interventional radiologists (IRs) are an integral part of a cancer patient’s care team. Medical oncologists treat cancer with medications, while surgical oncologists remove cancer surgically. Alternatively, IRs treat or kill cancer with minimally invasive therapies. IRs who treat cancer, are sometimes called interventional oncologists (IOs). IRs help cancer patients along their entire cancer journey:

Diagnosis: IRs play a key role in the initial evaluation and diagnosis of cancer by performing A percutaneous biopsy is done by placing a small needle into the skin, under anesthesia, and using imaging as a way to guide the IR to the tumor safely. Patients leave with a small Band-Aid rather than a large incision. Biopsies are a common way to acquire a sample of tumor tissue to not only determine the type of cancer
Treatment: IRs perform a variety of treatments intended to cure patients of their cancer. The most common types of curative therapies are ablation and embolization. Ablation, is when tumors are destroyed by directly delivering very hot or very cold temperatures into the tumor to kill the cells. Embolization, is when tumor-killing therapies are injected into the blood vessels going to those tumors causing tumor death.
Treating cancer symptoms: For patients with advanced cancer, interventional radiology has a broad and effective toolkit for addressing symptoms caused by cancer, including pain. This includes procedures such as cement augmentation to strengthen bones weakened by tumors and neurolysis to quieten nerves inflamed by cancer.

What makes interventional radiology unique?

IRs use real-time imaging to perform minimally invasive procedures that can be done on an outpatient basis. These procedures can have less pain and recovery time than surgical or systemic treatments. IRs treatments can be used as first-line therapy, used when surgery isn’t an option, or used when other treatments have not worked.

What types of cancer do interventional radiologists treat?

IRs treat patients across the entire cancer spectrum. The treatments offered by IRs are not limited to any specific type of cancer. Some of the most common cancers treated by IRs include the following:

Liver cancer
Metastatic colorectal cancer
Lung cancer
Primary and metastatic bone cancer
Renal cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Neuroendocrine cancer
Pediatric cancers

Next: IR treatments and pain management options

Disclaimer: SIR is providing this information as a public service. SIR assumes no liability, legal, financial or otherwise for the accuracy of this information or the manner in which it is used. SIR does not offer medical advice. This information is being provided for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace professional medical advice. It is best to seek advice and attention from your physician or qualified health care professional.

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