Open AccessComplementary role of intervention radiology in palliative care in oncology setting
Author(s) -
Ekta Dhamija,
Ashwin Deshmukh,
Pankaj Meena,
Mukesh Kumar,
Sushma Bhatnagar,
Sanjay Thulkar
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
indian journal of palliative care/indian journal of palliative care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.395
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1998-3735
pISSN - 0973-1075
DOI - 10.4103/ijpc.ijpc_24_19
Subject(s) - medicine , subspecialty , palliative care , interventional radiology , quality of life (healthcare) , malignancy , intensive care medicine , intervention (counseling) , multidisciplinary team , radiology , nursing , pathology
Owing to advances in treatment of cancer, there has been increase in life expectancy. Palliative care aims at improving quality of life of patients suffering from malignancy and is now recognized as a separate subspecialty. Management of cancer patients needs a multidisciplinary approach, and radiology has a key role to play at every step of it. Interventional radiology has broadened its scope immensely over the last decade with development of newer and less invasive applications useful in oncology and palliative care. The role of interventional radiologists begins from obtaining tissue for histopathological examination and extends to controlling disease spread with ablation or chemoembolization, to managing the tumor-related complications and relieving stressful symptoms such as dyspnea and pain. This article aims to review the interventional radiologist's arsenal in managing patients with malignancies with a special emphasis on palliative care, providing a more holistic approach in improving the quality of life of cancer patients.