Interventional radiology is emerging as an important pillar of cancer care, and is changing treatment for Ohio State patients through minimally-invasive therapies. “We can cure a tumor in real time [in some cases],” explains Mina S. Makary, MD, DABR, who holds directorships of the Interventional Radiology Inpatient Service, Interventional Radiology Clerkship and Scholarly Activity and Research at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “A patient comes in with a liver tumor and we can ablate (burn or freeze) it, and they then go home the same day, cancer-free, with only a small bandage.” Interventional radiology is a relatively new and growing field of cancer surgery. The procedures involve small, pinhole incisions that allow Makary and colleagues to use advanced imaging techniques to guide intricate wires and instruments to the exact sites of tumors. Click to learn more about interventional radiology at Ohio State. Several different techniques can be utilized through the access incision, including ablation, which is used to treat liver cancer, as well as other conditions. “It can also be used for kidney and lung cancer, and for benign tumors that are causing symptoms or complications,” Makary says. Makary shares more info about interventional radiology's benefits on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Watch on the video player above, or listen via SoundCloud. Other advanced techniques involve cutting off the flow of blood to tumors, as well as injecting them directly with chemotherapy—or radiation—beads. Blockages in veins caused by tumors can also be reopened using balloons and stents, and veins that have been destroyed can sometimes be reconstructed. Minimally-invasive techniques are becoming more common components of cancer treatment plans for many reasons, including the post-procedural benefits they bring to patients. “Patients have better outcomes, quicker recovery, less risks and fewer complications, and it is more cost-effective,” Makary says. “What gives me energy at the end of the day is to go and see my patients and their loved ones and tell them what I just did, and at the end of an ablation, say ‘Congratulations, you’re cancer free.’”