How Image-Guided Biopsies Are Redefining Modern Diagnostics, Transforming Early Diagnosis in India & Improving Patient Outcomes

Suraksha Diagnostic Limited, a NABL and CAP-accredited diagnostic centre and the largest diagnostic chain in Eastern India, organised an insightful session on interventional radiology procedure at its Shyambazar centre. This comes after the launch of the UAcademy Learning Centre by Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics in collaboration with United Imaging at The Grand Radiology Meet 2025. The session witnessed the presence of Dr Ankit Singh, MBBS, MD Radio Diagnosis, Consultant Radiologist at Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics and Dr. Soham Dasgupta, General Surgeon, MBBS MS (GEN SURG), FIGES FALS FMAS FAIS FISCP FAGEIN (COLONOSCOPY) FACRSI, Consultant at Suraksha Clinic & Diagnostics.  

The interventional radiology market is estimated to increase to $30.15 billion in 2026 from $28.55 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $39.65 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 5.62 per cent within 2026-2031, as per a report by Mordor Intelligence. This is backed by a rapid transition from open surgery to minimally invasive image-guided therapies and AI embedded in advanced imaging, which enhances real-time guidance and care quality. 

At The Grand Radiology Meet 2025, experts discussed how interventional radiology is an integral part of radiology and how there has been a huge paradigm shift in the surgical field or medical science for making surgery easier and safer with a growing patient awareness that one does not require a big surgery. In that transition, the open abdominal surgery is transformed into laparoscopy, open heart surgery is converted into angioplasty and now robotic surgery. The majority of the efforts are now going towards turning a surgery into a small-incision surgery. 

Interventional radiology is a branch of medicine involving the use of imaging techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and X-rays for diagnosing and treating numerous health conditions. Interventional radiology utilises advanced imaging techniques for performing minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, eliminating the requirement for open surgery and with reduced recovery time. Procedures such as Image-Guided FNAC, TRUS, and Trucut Biopsy are necessary for getting precise tissue samples for the diagnosis of cancer, infections, as well as other abnormalities, which are usually performed as outpatient or day-care procedures.   

At the Interventional Radiology session, experts discussed how Interventional Radiology procedures result in less pain and shorter recovery times in comparison to traditional surgery, by utilising real-time CT, X-ray, ultrasound. IR specialists help in treating conditions such as vascular disease, peripheral artery disease, organ-specific diseases, cancer and others.  Moreover, it is also utilised in musculoskeletal and pain management for treating spinal fractures and chronic joint pain. Access is gained through a small incision/wires using imaging guidance such as ultrasound, X ray, CT, for inserting needles, guidewires, and catheters. Interventional Radiology procedure is used for treating conditions at their source. 

Image-guided biopsy is a minimally invasive, precise procedure which utilises imaging techniques such as CT scan, ultrasound, MRI for guiding a needle into the tissues including liver, lung, breast for collecting samples for diagnosis. This technique is performed under local anaesthesia by interventional radiologists, offering high accuracy with minimum risk of complications, replacing the requirement of surgical biopsy, which is more invasive. Image-guided biopsies are redefining modern diagnostics by replacing palpation-based, blind sampling with high-precision, real-time visualisation, transforming cancer care in India. 

Image-guided biopsies enhance diagnostic accuracy by a significant margin to 90-95 per cent. Traditional biopsies rely on touch, whereas image-guided techniques help doctors to see the needle in real-time as it enters the precise location of the lesion. This becomes important for small lesions in the liver, lungs, and breast, where high precision ensures a reliable diagnosis. These procedures include only a small, pinhole entry instead of large incisions, which in turn converts complex, open-surgery biopsies into day-care procedures. In India, advanced techniques such as MRI-guided biopsy are enabling the detection of cancers that are often missed on standard mammograms, in stage 0 or stage 1. These techniques identify malignancies at an early stage, often at the asymptomatic stage, allowing less aggressive treatment methods with higher cure rates.  

The real-time visualisation of adjacent nerves and vessels decreases risks such as infection, excess bleeding and damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Patients thus experience less discomfort with minimal scarring and can often come back home the same day. These biopsies also provide adequate tissue for genetic and molecular profiling (NGS), which is considered as necessary for the identification of the targeted therapies which are most effective.  

There is a high demand of interventional radiology in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, however challenges remain such as less awareness among physicians, clinicians, leading to preference for traditional surgery which is complicated. There is also lack of adequate capital and infrastructure, along with import dependence for advanced equipment. In addition, the number of high-quality and formal Interventional Radiology training programs is relatively low in India and lack of uniform guidelines as well as regulatory frameworks. There are also less number of IR specialists in India in comparison to the demand, with approximately 500 to 600 trained and registered interventional radiology (IR) specialists in India as of 2018-2020 in a population of more than 1.3 billion, indicating a considerable shortage, with only one IR expert available for every 2.18 million people, as per data.  

Speaking on the Interventional Radiology Procedures session, Dr. Ankit Singh,MBBS,MD Radio Diagnosis, Consultant Radiologist at Suraksha Clinic & Diagnostics, shared: “Image-guided biopsies and FNAC have revolutionised modern diagnostics. With real-time ultrasound and CT guidance, we can accurately target even small or deep-seated lesions with minimal pain, minimal complications, and faster recovery. At Suraksha Diagnostic Shyambazar, our goal is to provide precise, safe, and affordable biopsy services to ensure early and accurate diagnosis for better patient outcomes.” 

Sharing his thoughts on the Interventional Radiology session organised by Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics, Dr. Somnath Chatterjee, Chairman & Joint Managing Director, Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics, said: “Interventional Radiology is in a way the future of precision medicine. Combining advanced imaging techniques with minimally invasive procedures, enables early diagnosis and treatment of complex conditions with greater accuracy, reducing risks and ensuring faster recovery for patients. With this Interventional Radiology session organised by Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics, we aim to grow awareness among patients and clinicians about the transformative role played by image-guided therapies in improving health outcomes and redefining modern healthcare.”