Introduction

Abstract

The last 30 years have witnessed the emergence of a new clinical subspecialty in the war against cancer – that of interventional oncology. Armed with ablation devices, embolization agents, cytotoxic and radiotherapeutic agents, intravascular delivery systems, and advances in imaging guidance, interventional oncologists have evolved into a fourth pivotal member complementing the cancer-treating trifecta of medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists. Interventional oncology is rapidly changing the paradigm of modern cancer management by improving local control and even cure of many solid organ malignancies. Image-guided tumor ablation is a fundamental tool within the therapeutic array of the interventional oncologist and is the focus of this book.