Interventional radiology is a subspecialty of radiology in which physicians use imaging equipment to perform minimally invasive procedures for both diagnostic and treatment purposes.
Interventional radiology is used to treat blockages inside arteries and veins, block off blood vessels that nourish tumors, destroy malignant tumors using focused heat and freezing, drain blocked organ systems such as the liver, gallbladder and kidney, and perform biopsies that would otherwise require surgical exploration. Interventional radiologists often work with oncologists to perform innovative procedures to treat many cancer patients and to improve quality of life.