Ronan Ryan, MB BCh BAO, FFRRSCI

I am an interventional radiologist, a physician with specialist training in performing minimally invasive image-guided procedures. I use x-ray, CT, ultrasound, MR, and PET images to perform procedures less invasively. My main clinical focus is the diagnosis and management of almost all types of malignancy using the least invasive means to facilitate faster patient recovery, often without the need for general anesthesia or overnight stay in the hospital.

My specific areas of interest are in ablation and embolotherapy. Ablation involves the use of different thermal and non-thermal energies delivered via needle-like probes placed through the skin with image guidance to kill tumors. Using different imaging techniques such as ultrasound, CT, MR,I and PET, we can accurately target tumors with the least impact on surrounding organs and tissue. The use of PET in this way is a new innovation that allows us to treat tumors based on their unique aggressive biological activity while preserving adjacent normal tissue. Embolotherapy involves the use of tiny steerable catheters advanced into arteries that feed tumors using live x-ray guidance.  We can then inject microscopic particles to block the blood flow in the tumor, causing it to die, or inject particles containing radioactive Ytrium which deliver a lethal dose of radiation to the tumor, without harming surrounding organs.

My research interests include the development of novel image guidance techniques such as PET so that we can successfully treat a greater spectrum of tumors with the least impact on the patient’s quality of life.

I work closely with my colleagues as part of a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists and radiologists so that we can offer every patient the best and most appropriate treatment based on the individual characteristics of their cancer.