Dear AuntMinnie Europe Interventional Radiology Insider,
Interventional radiology is heading to Copenhagen. CIRSE 2026 opens on Saturday, bringing more than 7,000 participants to the Bella Center from 5-9 September under the theme “Breaking barriers, expanding care.”
Our congress preview explores the hot topics to watch, from scientific sessions to showcases and pavilions aimed at strengthening the field. Delegates will examine everything from lower-limb and aortic interventions to embolization, interventional oncology, advanced stroke treatment, and radiation protection. Running through it all is a larger question: How can IR become more accessible, more clinical, and more fully integrated into patient care?
Following that path, CIRSE has already taken a concrete step with its new Access to Care Initiative. The program will support IR training hubs in Sub-Saharan Africa and expand educational opportunities across Eastern and Southeastern Europe through courses, schools, fellowships, and awareness initiatives.
New evidence is also reshaping clinical practice. In Germany, carotid artery stenting procedures rose by almost 30% in 2025, with a technical success rate of 93%. The registry data arrived alongside CREST-2 evidence supporting stenting plus intensive medical therapy in selected asymptomatic patients. The German Society of Interventional Radiology and Minimally Invasive Therapy (DeGIR) also raised the specialty’s profile at Germany’s radiology congress RöKo in May with its new dedicated DeGIR Campus.
In interventional oncology, a Dutch study found that adding FDG-PET to contrast-enhanced CT substantially improved early detection of local tumor progression following ablation or resection of colorectal liver metastases. The combined protocol detected progression missed by CT alone, although the increased sensitivity came with additional false-positive findings.
Another congress with a strong focus on intervention took place in Lviv, where the realities of wartime medicine made the subject especially pressing. The second Modern Cardiovascular Interventions Forum proved once again that international medical cooperation can continue under wartime conditions. The meeting combined advanced imaging and live procedures with a dedicated session on acute military cardiac and great-vessel trauma.
We hope you enjoy this edition. Keep reading our Interventional Radiology content area for more.
Claudia Tschabuschnig
Associate Editor
AuntMinnieEurope.com