The 2026 annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) just wrapped up in Toronto, Canada. The SIR 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting saw leading international radiologists gather to present the latest groundbreaking research, technologies, and network amongst other IR professionals. Throughout the five-day conference, hundreds of research abstracts were presented across a spectrum of interventional radiology topics.

Today, we are featuring some of those abstracts, particularly those involving interventional oncology topics. Some of the following descriptions and conclusions were edited for clarity and brevity. To view these abstracts, along with the hundreds of others, view the complete listing on the SIR 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting website.

Interventional Oncology Abstracts from SIR 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting

Drug-Eluting Bead Transarterial Chemoembolization Treatment of Liver-Dominant Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma

  • Description: [The purpose of the study was to] analyze the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) for unresectable metastatic hepatic leiomyosarcoma.
  • Conclusion: DEB-TACE was safe and effective treatment in a group of heavily pretreated, chemotherapy-refractory patients with liver-dominant unresectable leiomyosarcoma. DEB-TACE showed promising hepatic disease control and survival benefit with minimal side effects. This study is the largest reported cohort of patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma treated with DEB-TACE. The results of this study can serve as the basis for prospective multi-institutional study to prove the benefits of DEB-TACE in chemotherapy-refractory metastatic leiomyosarcoma.

Comparative Survival Outcomes of Radioisotopes Plus Chemotherapy, Radiofrequency Ablation Plus Chemotherapy, and Resection in Localized Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A SEER Database Study

  • Description: The aim of this study was to compare survival outcomes among radioisotopes with chemotherapy (RI-C), radiofrequency ablation with chemotherapy (RFA-C), and surgical resection for patients with localized intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) using a population-based dataset.
  • Conclusion: Surgical resection yielded the longest overall and cancer-specific survival compared with RI-C or RFA-C in patients with localized iCCA. RFA-C demonstrated more favorable outcomes than RI-C, particularly in cancer-specific survival, suggesting that treatment modality is the primary driver of survival differences.

Microwave Ablation versus Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy for Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Description: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes of microwave ablation (MWA) versus laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma.
  • Conclusion: MWA offers significant perioperative advantages over LPN, including shorter procedure time and reduced length of hospital stay, while achieving comparable renal function preservation and oncologic control. Larger, randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings.

Does the Degree of Renal Sinus Extension Impact Success and Adverse Events for Cryoablation of T1 Renal Cell Carcinoma?

  • Description: Renal tumors are classified based on location relative to the renal cortex as exophytic or endophytic, however, this classification does not distinguish tumors with regards to the degree of renal sinus extension. [The researchers aimed] to assess procedural success and adverse events after cryoablation of solitary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) for those with and without extension into the renal sinus.
  • Conclusion: This study demonstrates that tumors with greater than 25% extension into the renal sinus may have lower primary technical success, but with similar secondary technical success and adverse events. This may be a better predictor of ablation success than the existing endophytic/exophytic classification.

Novel Tract Cautery Device Increases Safety and Efficiency of Image-guided Percutaneous Needle Biopsies: A Retrospective Study of 120 Patients

  • Description: In this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant study, [the researchers] retrospectively reviewed 120 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous solid organ and/or mass biopsy with tract cautery closure using SinglePass Kronos. The PACS system was searched for biopsies during the study period (2024-2025). Key procedural and clinical factors were recorded, including biopsy site, procedure time, bedrest/discharge time, complications, required treatments, and deaths. Hematologic parameters were compared in a 65 matched-pairs subset via Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
  • Conclusion: This novel cautery device provided effective tract closure during percutaneous biopsy with rapid recovery and no major bleeding events, significant complications, or related deaths. These findings support device deployment in common high-risk biopsy settings, particularly hepatic and renal. 

Renal Biopsy Before vs During Ablation: A Retrospective Comparison of Biopsy Yield, Ablation Success, Complications, and the Frequency of Treating Benign Disease

  • Description: [The purpose of the study was to] determine whether performing a renal biopsy during renal ablation procedures affects the biopsy diagnostic yield or the ablation procedural outcomes when treating known or suspected renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  • Conclusion: Combining renal biopsy and ablation did not significantly affect the rate of ablation technical success or the post-ablation adverse events, however, it did lower the biopsy diagnostic yield and increased the frequency of treating benign disease. 

Endovascular Management of Tumor Thrombus: Comprehensive Analysis of Mechanical Thrombectomy and Interventional Strategies Across Cancer Types

  • Description: [The purpose of the study was to] evaluate endovascular treatment strategies for tumor thrombus across different cancer types, focusing on mechanical thrombectomy, catheter-directed interventions, and combined approaches for hepatocellular carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and other solid tumors with venous extension.
  • Conclusion: Endovascular management of tumor thrombus provides effective palliation with acceptable morbidity across multiple cancer types. Mechanical thrombectomy offers rapid symptom relief with minimal invasiveness compared to surgical alternatives. Combined endovascular and surgical approaches optimize outcomes, particularly for high-level renal tumor thrombi. Patient selection and multidisciplinary planning remain crucial for optimal results.

Percutaneous Endobiliary Radiofrequency Ablation Using Habib Probe for Unresectable Cholangiocarcinoma: Safety, Technical Feasibility, and Clinical Outcomes

  • Description: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) frequently presents at an advanced stage where curative resection is not feasible, necessitating palliative interventions to relieve biliary obstruction. Endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been explored as an adjunct to biliary stent placement to improve biliary patency, yet data on its percutaneous application remain limited. This study evaluates the safety, technical success, and clinical outcomes of percutaneous RFA with the Habib™ EndoHPB probe in unresectable CCA.
  • Conclusion: Percutaneous endobiliary RFA with the Habib probe is a safe and technically feasible intervention for unresectable CCA, yielding high procedural success, favorable laboratory and clinical outcomes, reduced IR utilization, and potential drain internalization.

Predictors of Local Recurrence After Image-Guided Thermal Ablation for Stage IA Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

  • Description: To evaluate predictors of recurrence in patients with Stage IA non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treated with image-guided thermal ablation (IGTA).
  • Conclusion: IGTA is an effective treatment for Stage I NSCLC, achieving acceptable low recurrence rates. No individual variable demonstrated as a statistically significant predictor for recurrence. However, spiculated tumor margins and history of COPD are associated with higher risk of recurrence.

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