Interventional radiology treats half of liver cancer patients
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Interventional radiologists (IRs) in the United States treated almost half of Medicare patients with both primary and metastatic liver cancer between 2016 and 2021.
Researchers analyzed Medicare data covering roughly 110,000 patients each year and discovered IRs provided essential support like biopsies and drainage, as well as treatments like ablation and transarterial therapies.
Nishita Kothary of Stanford University School of Medicine explained that IRs play a central role in complex liver cancer care, offering minimally invasive techniques that can cure cancer, support other treatments, or prepare patients for organ transplantation. IRs are increasingly focusing on cancer treatment, performing procedures like transarterial chemoembolization and radioembolization. These therapies often cause fewer side effects and allow for quicker recovery compared to systemic treatments, improving patients’ quality of life.
Globally, liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death, with approximately 900,000 new cases diagnosed annually, including 43,000 in the United States. Although physician payments and patient costs increased during the study, IR provided a more cost-efficient approach. IR accounted for 7.4% of total payments while delivering 11.7% of the work, as measured by relative value units, a metric for physician effort. By comparison, oncologists accounted for over half of payments but less than 14% of the work.
C. Matthew Hawkins of Emory University School of Medicine stated that IR’s cost-effectiveness is especially important as healthcare systems seek ways to control costs and improve care.
