The role of interventional radiology in palliative care of malignant disease

Abstract

Providing symptomatic palliation in terminal malignant disease is integral to high-quality elderly-care medicine. Effective pharmacological treatment, especially pain relief, is the mainstay of palliative care, but physical intervention is sometimes required to relieve mechanical problems. Interventional radiology is rapidly evolving and there are many clinical situations in which it is indicated. It is as effective as open surgery, but without the risk of general anaesthesia and surgical morbidity. Most interventional radiology procedures can be performed with a much shorter hospital stay than the alternative surgical procedure, and often as a day case admission. Reducing hospital stay and recovery time is of great importance to the older patient who may have a short life expectancy because of the cancer and co-morbidities.