June 2021 saw the publication of issue 82 of Interventional News, and both our cover stories were amongst those most widely-read on our site this month: see our coverage of the Global Embolization and Cancer Symposium Technologies (GEST) 2021 Focus Day on prostate artery embolization (PAE), summarising the passionate discussions that took place concerning PAE’s place in the American Urological Association’s guidelines, and also learn about the latest developments in the COLDFIRE 2 trial, which recently determined that irreversible electroporation (IRE) is an effective and relatively safe treatment for colorectal liver metastases 5cm or smaller that are deemed unsuitable for partial hepatectomy, thermal ablation, or further systemic therapy.
1. The next leap in simplifying and advancing 3D imaging
In this Philips-sponsored educational supplement, Interventional News speaks with Hicham Kobeiter, Marc Sapoval, and Wouter Van Den Eynde about their experience on using the Azurion platform with SmartCT to simplify 3D imaging.
2. The road to PAE in the AUA guidelines
The cover story of our latest issue, this story delineating the road to prostate artery embolization (PAE) gaining a recommendation by the American Urological Association (AUA) via inclusion in their guidelines made a splash. The Global Embolization and Cancer Symposium Technologies (GEST) 2021 Focus Day on PAE (6 March, online) sought to open discussion between urologists and interventional radiologists regarding the place of PAE in the treatment algorithm, a topic of heated debate in recent years.
3. Imaging, precise tools, in-procedure ablation zone visibility and confirmation of success with adequate margins could propel thermal ablation to achieve outcomes on par with surgery
In this video interview, Constantinos Sofocleous (New York, USA) sits down with Interventional News to discuss how image-guided thermal ablation, when it is deployed with an intent to cure small colorectal liver metastases, can be fine-tuned so that its outcomes match those achieved by open surgery.
4. HEPAR Primary study demonstrates safety of 166Ho-radioembolization in HCC, lays foundation for individualised cancer care
Holmium-166 (166Ho) radioembolization is a safe treatment option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), show results from the prospective, clinical phase I/II HEPAR Primary study, presented at the European Conference on Interventional Oncology (ECIO; 10–13 April, online). Interventional News speaks with Marnix Lam (University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands) about these latest data, which are anticipated to be published in the coming months, as well as what to expect from the iHEPAR study, which looks at a fully individualised treatment approach, and which Lam claims is the future of HCC treatment. This article is sponsored by Terumo Interventional Systems.
5. Degradable starch microspheres offer greater flexibility with TACE, enabling whole-liver embolization
Andreas H Mahnken (Clinic of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Marburg University, Marburg, Germany) enthuses to Interventional News about the potential of degradable starch microspheres (DSM) in transarterial chemoembolization, specifically drawing on his 20 years’ experience with DSM particles (PharmaCept). Indicated for chemoembolization of primary and secondary liver and lung tumours, EmboCept S DSM 50μm are the best-calibrated DSM available, ensuring good vasculature penetration and with a flexible application. This article is sponsored by PharmaCept.
6. Arteriovenous fistulas contribute to higher survival of haemodialysis patients with COVID-19
A new study, published online in The Journal of Vascular Access (JVA), suggests that arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) contribute to higher survival of haemodialysis patients with COVID-19. Authors Ahmet Murt (Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey) and colleagues urge that end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients “should be given the opportunity to have their vascular access properly created,” even in the pandemic era.
7. Sectoral Asset Management makes US$9 million investment into Cagent Vascular
Cagent Vascular recently announced the investment of US$9 million by Sectoral Asset Management. Along with the investment, Marc-Andre Marcotte has joined the board of directors. The proceeds will be used to accelerate the commercialisation and scaling of manufacturing for the Serranator below-the-knee (BTK) product. Further uses of proceeds include expanding the product offering to include larger sizes to treat the above-the-knee arteries.
8. COLDFIRE 2: IRE is safe, effective in patients unsuitable for thermal ablation or surgery
Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is an effective and relatively safe treatment for colorectal liver metastases 5cm or smaller that are deemed unsuitable for partial hepatectomy, thermal ablation, or further systemic therapy, results of the COLDFIRE-2 study, published in Radiology, report. The two-centre, prospective, single-arm, Phase II clinical trial was conducted by Martijn Meijerink, Alette Ruarus (both Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and colleagues.
9. Interventional News Issue 82—June 2021
The June 2021 issue of Interventional News was published and distributed this month! Read it online and subscribe here to be sent a free physical copy quarterly.
10. Philippe L Pereira
Chair of the 2022 and 2023 European Conference on Interventional Oncology (ECIO), Philippe L Pereira muses on the status of interventional oncology (IO) in 2021, following more than a year of disruption from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Through his work on various European guidelines delineating cancer care pathways, he has been instrumental in shaping the discipline and flying the flag for IO within multidisciplinary working groups. “Most oncologists recognise the value of our minimally invasive therapies and know very well how to integrate our treatments into the therapeutic armamentarium that currently exists for cancer patients,” he says.
