New Radiology Society: World Conference on Interventional Oncology is Expanding Interventional Radiology, Reflecting a Growing Subspecialty Need

There is an undoubtedly growing interest in interventional oncology. The burgeoning field, which only took root about a decade ago, is based on the practice of minimally-invasive procedures and therapies on patients who require little recovery time. The practice usually focuses on cancer treatment through image diagnosis — via x-ray, MRI, PET scan, CT scan, or ultrasound. In response to the surge of attention, the board of directors for the World Conference on Interventional Oncology (WCIO) has recently established The Society of Interventional Oncology, a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the field’s mission.

Jeff H. Geschwind, MD, chair of the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, professor of radiology and oncology at the Yale School of Medicine, and WCIO chair has been named the Society’s first president. The society is geared to serve interventional radiologists who specialize in oncology, post-doctoral researchers and scientists, and other medical professionals connected to the field such as nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and research assistants. They plan to offer four levels of membership: active, affiliate, resident/fellow, and student. The WCIO usually hosts around 700 attendees, and the Society hopes that they will inspired to become members.

“The Society of Interventional Oncology will represent interventional oncology as a whole,” Geshwind told HemOnc. “It will serve as the only membership-based organization dedicated entirely to the emerging field of interventional oncology, working to further promote the mission originally put forth by WCIO — to establish, nurture and support interventional oncology as the fourth pillar of cancer therapy alongside medical, surgical and radiation oncology worldwide.”