CIRSE at MIO Live

CIRSE Vice-President and CIRSE coordinating investigator Prof. Philippe Pereira opened the session with an address to the young people in the room. He stated that IO is a young discipline with a lot to offer, but that there is a lot of competition and a need for more people pushing the reach of IO through standards, quality control and increased research.

CIRSE Past-President, Prof. Afshin Gangi, then delivered a presentation on the importance of quality assurance for IO services. He too spoke to the fact that more IRs are needed, and that quality assurance is essential.

Prof. Laura Crocetti built upon Prof. Gangi’s words, discussing the IASIOS accreditation pathway and how important it is for standards and quality assurance, as well as for helping patients to feel confident in IO services.

“Patients today are not who they were twenty-five years ago. They see pictures on the web, they research and want to know who their doctor is. An accreditation does put the patients at ease.” And good quality can only bring more good!

Prof. Pereira then returned to the podium to present the current state of the evidence in IO and its place in international treatment guidelines. “Of course, I have a conflict of interest – I am fascinated by interventional oncology, I think it’s one of the best disciplines.” He began, before speaking more technically on the concrete evidence for treatments and the publications on the subject over the last 10 years.

Prof. Thomas Helmberger wrapped up the session by highlighting the importance of continuous data collection and provided practical tips for establishing a research infrastructure in IO. He pointed out that increased data increases awareness at the same time as it creates a scientific basis for the discipline. “Garbage in, garbage out. We need to place importance on the design of the study.”

Prof. Nahum Goldberg’s honorary lecture on his vision of IO by 2030 was another highlight of the congress, in which he explained the importance of tumour markers and artificial intelligence to predict outcomes of interventional treatments. The presentation by radiomics expert Dr. Luca Boldrini on the relevance of radiomics in determining optimal treatment pathways for patients with lung cancer echoed this sentiment of the increasing importance of algorithms in cancer treatments.

This edition of MIO Live was engaging, diverse, and provocative and a testimony to the continuous efforts of Prof. Roberto Iezzi and his team to promote and improve IO services.