Single-Session Ablative Radioembolization for Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma Is Associated with Lower Treatment-Episode Charges, Shorter Time to Treatment, and Reduced Travel Burden.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that, compared with conventional two-session transarterial radioembolization (TARE), single-session TARE (ssTARE) is associated with lower hospital charges, fewer modeled interventional radiology (IR) physician work relative value units (wRVUs), shorter consultation-to-treatment intervals, and less procedure-related travel in selected patients undergoing ablative TARE for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This single-institution retrospective review included 312 treatment episodes in 255 patients between January 2022 and April 2026, comprising 96 single-session ablative TARE episodes and 216 conventional TARE episodes. Conventional TARE was defined as mapping angiography with Tc-99m MAA administration, SPECT/CT, and lung shunt fraction calculation followed by Y-90 administration during a separate encounter.

RESULTS

Ninety-three of 96 ssTARE attempts (96.9%) had successful Y-90 delivery. All treatments used glass microspheres. Mean recorded hospital charges were $118,656 for conventional TARE (n=202) and $86,193 for ssTARE (n=51), a 27.4% reduction (p < 0.001). Lower charges persisted in sensitivity analyses. ssTARE was associated with 17.9% fewer modeled IR physician wRVUs and 42.6% fewer modeled driving miles (p < 0.01). The primary consultation-to-treatment interval was 15 days shorter (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In selected patients with HCC, ssTARE was associated with lower recorded institutional charges, fewer modeled procedure-related travel miles, and a shorter consultation-to-treatment interval.