Hawkins CM, Gill AE. Introduction to interventional radiology’s role in palliative care for children with cancer: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee White Paper. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 Jun;70 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):e30238. doi: 10.1002/pbc.30238. Epub 2023 Jan 30. PubMed PMID: 36715273; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10658401.
Study ID Citation
Abstract
As palliative care continues to be an area of increasing emphasis in pediatric oncology programs, it is important to raise awareness about minimally-invasive, image-guided procedures that can supplement more conventional palliative interventions, such as systemic analgesics, external beam radiation, and locoregional anesthesia. These procedures, when performed for appropriately selected patients, can often facilitate discharge from an inpatient facility, and help patients meet their end-of-life goals. This article specifically discusses three palliative procedures performed by interventional radiologists that can assist pediatric palliative care teams: 1) percutaneous thermal ablation of painful bone metastases, 2) cryoneurolysis, and 3) tunneled drainage catheter placement for malignant pleural effusions and ascites.