Interventional radiology and image-guided medicine: interventional oncology.

As innovative image-guided procedures have been developed, the interventional radiologist has become an integral member of a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer. Radiologists can now be involved in all facets of care, including diagnosis, treatment, and imaging follow-up. Initial advances in interventional oncology involved transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma. With early successes, treatment expanded to additional tumor histologies and new treatment modalities. The interventional radiologist now has an arsenal that includes transarterial therapies and percutaneous ablation, as well as adjuvant treatments such as portal vein embolization. The purpose of this review is to detail some of the more widespread and promising treatments the interventional radiologist can offer in the care of cancer patients. We also will address the clinical evidence for the procedures and review important technical considerations.