Thierry de Baere, MD

Thierry de Baere, MD, is head of the Department of Interventional Radiology at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France. Dr. de Baere has practiced interventional radiology for 19 years, with a focus in oncology. His main interests are tumor ablation, portal vein embolization, intra-arterial therapies and digestive tract intervention. In addition, he is a reviewer for JVIR, CVIR, Radiology and European Radiology.

When and how did you become interested in the field of interventional radiology and radiofrequency treatment?

About 19 years ago, in 1990, I became interested in interventional radiology, and in 1997, we started treating with radiofrequency.  This is really the only treatment for small tumors outside of surgery, and with radiofrequency, we can treat patients who are poor surgical risks. Patients with poor lung function or poor kidney function can be treated and cured, and they might not have been eligible for surgery.

What do you consider the most rewarding aspects of your career?

We are able to cure patients with minimal side effects — patients are cured without scars, without going through chemotherapy.

What has been the most challenging part of your career?

Dealing with cancer every day, in a cancer center, makes it common place for you, but it’s a unique and difficult situation for every patient that you treat. It can make it a bit strange, because it is common to you but uncommon to your patients.

What do you find significant about radiofrequency ablation as compared to other types of treatments?

The side effects of radiofrequency ablation are much less difficult to deal with than other treatments, and it requires less time on the patient’s part — you can go in one day and go out the next. The tumor is completely ablated in one treatment, and there is no other treatment like that. With surgery, you will be in the hospital for days and recovering at home after that; chemo and radiation both require multiple courses.

What technological changes do you expect in the field over the course of the next 10 years?

First, I expect continued improvement in image-guidance. Over the last 15 years, we’ve seen faster image acquisition and better quality plus image fusion. The quality is boosted every year. Second, we’ll see improvement in the tools we’re using for ablation and new drugs dedicated to local delivery.