Symposium on Minimally Invasive Cancer Treatments

Clinicians and basic scientists from academia, private practice, government and industry come together today for a week-long multi-disciplinary symposium in interventional oncology, a rapidly growing area of medicine involving minimally invasive interventional radiology treatments for cancer. The first two days of the meeting focus on treatments for liver, kidney, bone and lung tumors. The second half of the meeting provides an opportunity for cross-fertilization between researchers in interventional radiology, functional imaging, oncology, nanotechnology, angiogenesis, basic science, clinical science, and related disciplines to share information about potential applications of imaging and image-guided therapies for cancer.

"Continued research in interventional radiology and collaboration across disciplines is the key to new advances and better patient care," says Michael Soulen, M.D., symposium co-chair. "The need for better cancer treatments is great, and interventional radiologists provide targeted cancer treatments directly to the tumor without significant damage to the nearby normal tissue."

Interventional radiology offers many non-surgical advances, such as delivering chemotherapy directly to the affected organ (chemoembolization), killing the tumor with heat (radiofrequency ablation) or freezing the tumor (cryoablation) to treat cancer locally, without harming the healthy cells in the body.

Targeted delivery of gene- and immuno-therapies are new frontiers in cancer treatment under investigation by interventional radiologists in collaboration with other specialists. Interventional radiologists are uniquely skilled in using imaging guidance to deliver targeted cancer treatments throughout the body non-surgically, through the blood vessels or other pathways.

Highlights of the Symposium Include:

Treatments for Liver Cancer (Monday, November 28)
Although surgery provides the best chance for a cure, liver tumors are often inoperable because they may be too large, or have grown into major blood vessels or other vital structures. Sometimes, many small tumors are spread throughout the liver, making surgery too risky or impractical. Surgical removal is not possible for more than two-thirds of primary liver cancer patients and 90 percent of patients with metastatic (secondary) liver cancer. Studies of note:

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is as effective as surgery to treat single small cell hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) in a study of 162 patients, in terms of overall survival and rate of tumor recurrences. (Author, Lencioni)
  
• A study assessing survival in patients with small solitary colorectal liver metastasis treated with RFA shows that their survival was extremely good, with 3 and 5 year survival after ablation of 65% and 43% respectively. (Author, Gillams)