IO Foundation Course

Why this course matters | Programme | Registration

The 2022 IO Foundation Course will take place

on Saturday, April 23
in Vienna, Austria

Why this course matters

Interventional oncology (IO) offers safe and effective treatment for patients with a variety of malignancies. Since its beginnings a few decades ago, when IO was often considered a mere go-to in the case of hard-to-reach or unresectable tumours, its importance has expanded dramatically leading to ever-new oncologic applications of minimally invasive image-guided procedures. This does not only hold true in a palliative setting. In recent years, potentially curative IR procedures have also emerged, making an increasingly significant contribution to the treatment of oncologic patients.

These developments are quickly establishing IO as the fourth pillar of cancer care alongside medical, surgical and radiation oncology. IO procedures, when applied to the right patients, achieve excellent oncological results with fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than conventional surgery. As a result, they are less expensive and more cost-effective than surgery.

Despite these many advantages, the provision of IO procedures is not granted in numerous countries, including those where interventional radiology has already been firmly established.  Across the globe and even within Europe, the spectrum and number of available IO procedures vary substantially, making it difficult to reliably offer this service to patients and establish interventional oncology procedures within tumour boards when determining the best multidisciplinary treatment for the patient.

The most effective way to increase the possibilities for patients to receive minimally invasive oncology treatments is for interventional oncologists to practise as fully-fledged clinicians rather than technicians, holding outpatient clinics and participating fully in discussions at MDMs. In order to do this effectively, they must learn the basics of oncology in relation to the conditions they treat, so they can engage in meaningful discussions with other clinicians and patients.

The purpose of this IO Foundation Course is to teach the main elements of oncology to trainees and young staff members practising in this field, including the essentials of surgical, medical and radiation oncology and relevant aspects of histopathology.

In this half-day course, a multidisciplinary faculty of experts from around the world will give lectures and share procedural tips and tricks with the next generation of interventional oncologists.

Programme

12:00-12:05 Introduction

12:05-13:05 Essentials of oncology

The basics of cancer biology: How cancer develops and how it metastasizes?
The essentials of chemotherapy and immunotherapy
The essentials of radiation therapy
The essentials of surgery
The essentials of interventional oncology
Q&A/Discussion

13:05-14:05 Lung cancer and lung metastases

Primary lung cancer types and overview of lung metastases
Different treatment options for primary carcinoma and metastases:
-Surgery: basic techniques and outcomes
-External radiotherapy and SBRT
-Chemotherapy and immunotherapy
-An outline of IO therapies and their roles in lung tumours
Q&A/Discussion

14:05-14:45 Break

14:45-15:45 Hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases

Pathology and approach to sampling
Different treatment approaches for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases:
-Surgery: basic techniques and outcomes
-External radiotherapy and SBRT in the liver
-Chemotherapy and immunotherapy
-An outline of IO treatments and their roles in liver malignancy
Q&A/Discussion

15:45-16:45 Renal cell carcinoma

Pathological subtypes of renal masses and distinguishing features
Treatment options: renal cell carcinoma:
-Surgical options: partial nephrectomy vs. complete nephrectomy
-Chemotherapy and immunotherapy
-Radiation for renal cell carcinoma
-An outline of IO treatments including biopsy and their roles in renal cell carcinoma
Q&A/Discussion

16:45-17:10 Clinical practice in IO

How to run an outpatient clinic
Consultations and follow-up
Q&A/Discussion