Interventional Oncology Featured in BBC Rewriting Cancer Campaign

The Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO) is proud to announce our participation in the second season of Rewriting Cancer, a global storytelling campaign presented by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, with a dedicated segment on interventional oncology.

The series highlights the people, innovations, and care models transforming the cancer journey—from prevention and early detection to treatment, survivorship, and quality of life. Through documentary-style films featuring patients, clinicians, researchers, advocates, and healthcare organizations worldwide, the series aims to challenge misconceptions about cancer and showcase advances that are improving outcomes and expanding access to care. 

The 2026 Rewriting Cancer series invites audiences to explore three new chapters:

• Protecting communities - How education and early detection can help cancer outcomes

• Closing the gap - Working to improve access to cancer care

• Redefining care - Innovating how cancer could be prevented, detected and treated

The episode featuring SIO and interventional oncology, titled "How Interventional Oncology Can Transform Daily Lives By Easing Pain and Treating Tumors", follows the patient journey of Karla Walker, who discovered a tumor wrapped around her femoral vein. Her treatment plan and her life changed for the better when her oncologist recommended an intervention with Jack Jennings, MD, PhD, an interventional oncologist with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and SIO's President-Elect.

The episode additionally features Muneeb Ahmed, MD, FSIR, Chief of the Division of Cancer Radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Chair of the Department of Imaging at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and SIO’s Immediate Past President, who explains additional interventional oncology treatments, such as ablation, and the multidisciplinary approach to these minimally invasive interventions.  

"We were honored to be invited to participate in Rewriting Cancer, a global initiative that highlights the innovations and collaborations transforming cancer care around the world. The invitation reflects the growing recognition of interventional oncology's role in improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Through SIO's contribution to the series, we hope to increase awareness of minimally invasive, image-guided therapies and the impact they can have for patients navigating a cancer diagnosis." 

 — Alexis Kelekis, MD, PhD, EBIR, FCIRSE, FSIR, President, Society of Interventional Oncology 

Click the image below to watch the episode.

"The concern I have is the patients who don't know about this treatment. These patients are unduly suffering because they've failed all the other modalities of cancer treatment and the role of the Society of Interventional Oncology is to raise awareness and get this out there to the world." 

 — Jack Jennings, MD, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Karla's story spotlights the role of interventional oncology in advancing cancer treatments, demonstrating how minimally invasive, image-guided therapies are expanding options for patients while supporting a more personalized approach to care. 

"This new cancer series presented by UICC shows once again how important it is to hear from people affected by cancer, and how their experience can inform decisions that shape how health care is delivered. They are real stories, from different settings, that tell a unique journey, but together they provide a clearer picture of where we are making progress in cancer care, why there is reason to hope, and where more needs to be done."  — Cary Adams, CEO of UICC

Explore the series at www.rewritingcancer.com. Visit the SIO website for additional interventional oncology resources for patients.

SIO wishes to additionally thank Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center for their support in making this video.