The Role of Interventional Oncology in the Management of Lung Cancer

Interventional radiological procedures for diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer have become increasingly important. Imaging-guided percutaneous biopsy has become the modality of choice for diagnosing lung cancer, and in the era of target therapies, it is an useful tool to define earlier patient-specific tumor phenotypes. In functionally inoperable patients, especially the ablative procedures are potentially curative alternatives to surgery. In addition to thermally ablative treatment, selective chemoembolization by a vascular access allows localized therapy. These treatments are considered for patients in a reduced general condition which does not allow systemic chemotherapy. The present article reviews the role of interventional oncology in the management of primary lung cancer, focusing on the state of the art for each procedure.