Interventional Oncology

Interventional Oncology (IO) is a subspecialty of interventional radiology (IR) that uses image guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures or interventions in an effort to diagnose, treat and cure patients with variety of cancers. Interventional oncology is the fastest growing area in IR and has been recognized as another pillar of oncologic care, together with radiation oncology, med oncology, and surgery oncology.

Interventional treatments are highly focused, direct and targeted which results in greater potency of doses to the tumor with improved sparing of normal non-cancerous tissue.

The procedures are minimally invasive with no surgical incisions, faster recovery times, less morbidity and shorter to no hospital stays.

In addition to cancer treatment, IO is vital in cancer diagnosis, management of cancer complications, management of complications of cancer treatment and palliative care.

IO therapies fall into two main categories:

Arterial Based Treatments

Arterial based treatments which block blood vessels leading to tumors using tiny beads soaked in either chemotherapy or loaded with radiation. These procedures starve the tumor of blood while poisoning it directly without causing side effects to the rest of the body. The two main treatments are called transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or transarterial radioembolization (TARE). Radioembolization is also known as (SIRT) selective internal radiation therapy or Y90 treatment. These therapies are primarily used to treat primary liver cancer or metastatic disease to the liver from cancers such as colon, breast, lung, pancreas and neuroendocrine.

Ablative Therapies

Ablative therapies use needles called probes which can get hot or cold in a very controlled manner to treat tumors through a small puncture in the skin. These technologies more or less are either cooking or freezing the tumor. The tumor subsequently dies and then gets reabsorbed by the body. The two main treatments are called microwave ablation and cryoablation. These therapies can be used to treat a variety of primary tumors including liver, lung, kidney and almost any metastatic process that affects these organs.

Interventional Oncology will be a critical component of the multidisciplinary cancer team at the White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care – recognized throughout the region as a destination for top quality and life saving cancer care.

Meet The Team

Mark Burshteyn, MD

Interventional Oncology

Alex Burn, MD

Interventional Radiology