A session dedicated to CIRSE projects took place on Monday, February 5, under the title Advancing Quality in Interventional Oncology and Research. In this joint session, Next Research and IASIOS discussed how quality assurance and standardization in clinical research can pave the way for IO to further establish itself as the fourth pillar of modern oncology care.
The invited speakers, Prof. Martijn Meijerink (Amsterdam University Medical Center), Prof. Laura Crocetti (University Hospital Pisa), Prof. Philippe L. Pereira (SLK-Kliniken Heilbronn GmbH) and Prof. Dimitris Filippiadis (Attikon University Hospital), delivered excellent presentations highlighting the importance of quality assurance, standardization, accreditation and research in interventional oncology.
Prof. Meijerink emphasized some of the key steps in research setup, from defining clear research goals to reviewing existing literature and engaging diverse stakeholders, including physicians and potential industry partners. He underscored the role of contract research organizations as crucial players in planning and developing clinical study strategies and ultimately fostering the necessary interaction between different experts in the clinical community. As a fundamental aspect of these endeavours, Prof. Pereira discussed the interplay between innovation and standardization, highlighting the importance of the latter for robust research in IR and IO while safeguarding continuous innovation and shared lessons learned from CIRSE-sponsored studies like CIREL and CIRT-FR.
Prof. Crocetti and Prof. Filippiadis from the IASIOS committee discussed the importance of IO as a clinical specialty, emphasizing adherence to globally recognized quality standards and the increased involvement in tumour boards and multidisciplinary meetings after achieving the IASIOS accreditation. Meeting international standards and earning international accreditation puts facilities at the forefront of patient care and elevates the benchmark of quality assurance in IO. IASIOS offers a global accreditation system evaluating the entire pathway of patient care and treatment to deliver IO services effectively. Currently, 23 centres have achieved the IASIOS accreditation, with over 60 participating centres from 20 countries across 6 continents, the IASIOS community continues to grow and have a presence in events such as MIOLive!
