Interventional radiologists treated nearly 51% of Medicare patients with liver cancer from 2016 to 2021 while accounting for a relatively small share of physician payments, according to a study published October 12 in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
Funded by the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the study reviewed Medicare data covering about 110,000 patients per year. Interventional radiology’s (IR's) patient volume increased over the study period as oncologic care relied more on interventional radiologists for support services such as image-guided biopsy, venous access, and drainage. This also included therapies such as percutaneous ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, and transarterial radioembolization, the authors found.
IR accounted for 7.4% of total payments while performing 11.7% of work relative value units (wRVUs), a Medicare-derived measure of the time, skill, and intensity a physician invests in a service. In comparison, oncologists accounted for 52.5% of payments while performing 13.7% of wRVUs, and radiation oncologists accounted for 5.4% of payments while performing 4.5% of wRVUs. Physician payments and patient out-of-pocket costs rose overall during the study period, with oncology showing the steepest increase at 72% over five years.
SIR officials said the findings show how IRs should be involved in discussions regarding cancer care policy, cost, and resource allocation. They also highlighted how image-guided interventional oncology therapies can have fewer side effects and faster recovery times than systemic therapies.
