Abstract

Background:

Palliative care seeks to improve the quality of life (QoL) of patients and families facing life-threatening malignancies. The complexity of advanced cancer patients often prohibits traditionally invasive procedures such as surgery. Interventional radiologists have an expertise in delivering both diagnostic and therapeutic minimally-invasive, image-guided care and therefore present a pivotal opportunity to provide palliative care for cancer patients. This exhibit will aim to describe the interventional radiologist's armamentarium in managing cancer patients with a special emphasis on palliative care, thereby providing a more holistic approach in improving the QoL of cancer patients.

Methods:

This review will focus on several of the common procedures performed by interventional radiologists to provide palliation: 1. Tunneled peritoneal or pleural catheter placement for fluid drainage; 2. Management of painful spine metastasis with focus on radiofrequency ablation and subsequent kyphoplasty; 3. Cryoneurolysis for pain control with a focus on pudendal, intercostal and celiac plexuses; 4. Biliary and duodenal stenting for malignant biliary and small bowel obstruction; 5. Decompressive gastrostomies for malignant obstruction; 6. Trans-arterial embolization for uncontrolled hemorrhage.

Conclusion:

Minimally-invasive procedures are well-suited for cancer patients, many of whom have complex comorbidities and symptoms that preclude more invasive treatments. Interventional radiologists offer safe and effective, symptom-specific palliation using minimally-invasive procedures in a wide range of applications for cancer patients.