Determining essential priorities for future investigation - A national consensus exercise in Interventional Oncology (DEFINE-IO) – An a priori protocol

INTRODUCTION: Interventional Oncology (IO) is a rapidly developing subspecialty within interventional radiology (IR), offering minimally invasive, precise and targeted cancer therapies. Despite its transformative potential, IO faces challenges in identifying critical research priorities amidst limited funding and resources. The DEFINE-IO study aims to identify the most pressing research priorities in IO to guide researchers, policy makers, and funding bodies in driving innovation and improving cancer outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study comprises two phases: a modified e-Delphi process and a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The e-Delphi process will involve three rounds, with round 1 dedicated to generating research topics, followed by rounds 2 and 3, which will focus on refining and achieving consensus on the identified topics. The final consensus will yield a list of 25 research priorities, which will be evaluated during an in-person MCDA session. These priorities will be assessed against three predefined criteria: urgency, feasibility/equipoise, and affordability, to establish a strategic roadmap for research in IO. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Formal ethics approval was deemed not necessary. Findings of the study will be presented at major conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will also be shared with funding bodies and policymakers to help guide future research directions.