Dr. Arvind K Chaturvedi
Founder President
Greetings to all esteemed seniors, colleagues and members of SOII
A journey that began nearly a decade ago has entered adulthood. Society of Oncologic Imaging  was founded in 2018 to address the sub speciality needs within the broad umbrella of radiology. Having been a regular participant in the annual IRIA meetings I soon felt the need for a specialised group to address the intricate issues in Oncology. Our opinion is valued only if it actively contributes to patient management. This is so much more relevant in Oncology where every  tumor board meeting or case discussion  begins with a display of a CT scan, an MRI or a PET CT and precedes and influences the decision making process.
This is so much more relevant in Oncology where every  tumor board meeting or case discussion  begins with a display of a CT scan, an MRI or a PET CT and precedes and influences the decision making process.  This practice is an unmistakable recognition of the fact that radiology plays a key role in cancer management. It’s role is no longer limited to the initial diagnosis but throughout the course of cancer treatment.
It is easy therefore to infer that radiologists play a crucial role in oncology decision making at every step. Radiology deserves to be propelled to its rightful orbit in the oncology space. And therefore it’s crucial  to integrate Radiology into the practice of oncology at every time point that influences decision marking . These thoughts were compelling for us to form our Society of Oncology Imaging India.
To further strengthen our visibility we organized the first Annual International Conference of the Society of Oncologic Imaging India at New Delhi in February 2019 and called it  SOIICON 2019. This had a monumental success and was attended by 15 foreign faculty including the then President of the European Society of Oncologic Imaging Professor Andrea Laghi. Due to the COVID pandemic the subsequent three annual conferences were held in the virtual mode. However since 2023 we have been holding our annualconferences  in person at Ahmedabad (2023), Hyderabad (2024) and Coimbatore (2025) in addition to innumerable mid term meetings and outreach programs.
We are at a defining moment in the history of Cancer Management. Everything is changing so fast that practice changing evidence is coming up on a regular basis. Targeted therapies, immunotherapy, artificial intelligence and Interventional Oncology has thrown many new challenges to the conventional approach to Oncologic Imaging. Interventional Oncology has emerged as the fourth pillar in cancer management. Recognising it’s immense potential we have launched Interventional Oncology as an independent service line at RGCIRC.
Radiologists associated with oncology centres have a responsibility beyond the routine. A casual reporting of imaging studies may leave certain key questions unanswered. Radiologists need to identify the expectations of the oncologist and the key components of a report that are crucial to guide the appropriate management strategy.  My dream is to see Oncologic Imaging and intervention having the key role in cancer management. Long live the Society of Oncologic Imaging India.
(Dr Arvind K Chaturvedi is currently Chair Emeritus Radiology and Interventional Oncology and a member of the Governing Council at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi)
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