Challenges, Barriers, and Successes of Standardized Report Templates: Results of a Society of Interventional Radiology Survey.

Registry data are being increasingly used to establish treatment guidelines, set benchmarks, allocate resources, and make payment decisions. Although many registries rely on manual data entry, the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) is using automated data extraction for its VIRTEX registry. This process relies on participants using consistent terminology with highly structured data in physician-developed standardized reports (SR). To better understand barriers to adoption, a survey was sent to 3,178 SIR members. Responses were obtained from 451 interventional radiology practitioners (14.2%) from 92 unique academic and 151 unique private practices. Of these, 75% used structured reports and 32% used the SIR SR. The most common barriers to the use of these reports include SR length (35% of respondents), lack of awareness about the SR (31%), and lack of agreement on adoption within practices (27%). The results demonstrated insights regarding barriers in the use and/or adoption of SR and potential solutions.

Techniques to Optimize Radioembolization Tumor Coverage.

Yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization has become a major locoregional treatment option for several primary and secondary liver cancers. Understanding the various factors that contribute to optimal tumor coverage including sphere count, embolization techniques, and catheter choice is important for all interventional radiologists while planning Y90 dosimetry and delivery. Here, we review these factors and the evidence supporting current practice paradigms.

Deep Vein Thrombosis Interventions in Cancer Patients.

The presence of cancer increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), DVT recurrence, and treatment-related bleeding, and therefore offers distinctive clinical considerations when planning treatment. Anticoagulation with a low-molecular-weight heparin is the preferred initial and long-term therapy in cancer patients. Inferior vena cava filters may be used judiciously for patients with cancer-related DVT who have contraindications to anticoagulation or who exhibit breakthrough pulmonary embolism (PE) despite anticoagulation, but should be removed when the PE risk is felt to subside. Because moderate-quality evidence suggests that the use of catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) can prevent the postthrombotic syndrome, cancer patients with acute iliofemoral DVT, low expected bleeding risk, and good functional status may reasonably be considered for CDT if DVT-related sequelae are likely to be a dominant contributor to the patient's clinical condition, functional status, and quality of life. In selected patients who have chronic venous symptoms from mass/nodal compression of the pelvic veins, endovascular stent placement may provide symptom relief. As current recommendations are based on very limited data, further studies would be welcome to better delineate the most appropriate use of endovascular therapies in patients with cancer.