The Foundation for Interventional Oncology Research (FIOR) is a charitable trust dedicated to the advancement of Interventional Oncology. It is UCLH Charity Number 1216 - please quote this number if you would like to donate.

 

Interventional Oncology is the field of image-guided cancer treatment, where cancers are targeted in a minimally invasive way while reducing the harm to surrounding health tissues. 

Our aim is to improve the outcomes and experience for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

 

Most people are familiar with the common forms of cancer treatment - surgery, drug therapy and radiotherapy - but may not be aware of Interventional Oncology (IO), or image-guided therapy for the treatment of cancer. IO techniques include direct destruction of tumour deposits using heat (radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation and laser) or cold (cryoablation) using real-time ultrasound, CT or MRI scans to guided treatment. They also include the delivery of treatment directly into tumours through the blood vessels, both to block the vessels themselves and also to deliver high doses of targeted therapy, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Interventional Oncology also includes the control of cancer related pain using image-guided intervention, such as targeted nerve and plexus blocks. This is often a more focused way of delivering localised pain control, rather than taking oral pain-killers.

 

New image-guided interventional techniques are constantly being developed, but it takes time and money to properly evaluate how well they might perform. Such technology includes irreversible electroporation, MRI-guided interventions and image-guided drug and gene delivery. Also, once these techniques have been tested, it is imperative that the results of the research are disseminated as widely as possible. 

 

FIOR has been established to promote and advance the field of Interventional Oncology. With your help, we will be able to investigate new IO technologies, train doctors and allow more patients to benefit from these cutting edge techniques.