Event Details

SIR was a blast this year. Being in NOLA for the first time since Katrina was a treat in itself. Where else can you get gumbo for breakfast? The IO sessions were packed with people and energy. Weeks later I still have people asking me about the hot button issues debated in the lively Tumor Boards......

There was some great science at SIR this year. I found the abstract session on radioembolization particularly thought-provoking. A series of presentations from Marnix Lam (catch his lecture at WCIO this New York this month!) examined dose distribution following resin-based radioembolization......

One of my NP’s presented a new consult to me this week: 15cm central HCC, wheelchair bound, heart and renal failure, blistering wounds on the legs from severe edema requiring daily dressing changes and whirlpool therapy for debridement...you get the picture. She advised me not to treat him. ...

The IO Central Chemoembolization Discussion Group this week raised the issue of getting insurance approval for atypical tumors. Not surprisingly, the insurer in this case turned out to be Blue Cross, one of the worst carriers for Interventional Oncology procedures....

No longer the domain of a few practitioners at tertiary care centers, the specialty of interventional oncology is diffusing throughout academic and community hospitals worldwide. Simultaneously, there has been an explosion in the device industry with more options for treatment than ever before. Acco

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As I mentioned in a prior post (“Fourth Pillar, Here We Come!”, Jan 9), the response to WCIO call for volunteers was astounding.For the two open Board positions alone, there were 24 nominations from seven countries, including nine full professors, 13 division/section chiefs, and two department chair

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I just spent a fantastic week teaching at the RSNA Clinical Trials Methodology Workshop. This 5-day bootcamp provides intensive training in how to design and execute clinical trials. And I mean intensive! Most days start at 7AM, and both students and faculty work well into the evening....

One of the exciting developments in IO research has been the investment by industry in prospective clinical trials to help define best practice in the care of our patients. Nordion, Merit/Biosphere, Sirtex, BTG/Biocompatibles, Siemens, and Delcath all sponsor multicenter Phase 2 and 3 trials......

The response to the WCIO call for volunteers was overwhelming. 60 nominees hailed from 14 countries and 8 medical specialties, government and industry, including 7 Department Chairmen, 14 Section Chiefs, and multiple leaders of national and international societies. 
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A few months ago, my hospital expanded its patient web access so that patients can read their diagnostic radiology reports a week after the report has been finalized. While in principle I think this is a good thing, the results for cancer patients were predictable....