Role of Multi-Disciplinary Clinics in the Management of Benign Liver Tumors

A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who presented to the multidisciplinary liver tumor clinic between January 2019 and December 2023. 156 patients presented with benign liver tumors. This study assessed the role of IR therapies in the management of these benign tumors. Interventional Radiology (IR) was involved in 22% of all visits for benign liver disease, with 13 patients receiving IR therapies. 



Results:
Over the five-year period, the number of patients evaluated at the clinic for benign liver diseases increased, with a notable doubling of patients from 23 in 2019 to 51 in 2023. The involvement of Interventional Radiology (IR) in these cases also increased from 3 patient visits in 2019 and 20 patient visits in 2023. Out of 156 patients diagnosed with benign liver disease, 13 underwent IR treatments, all of which were technically successful. Clinically, every one of these 13 patients demonstrated significant improvement in their symptoms following IR intervention. 



All 13 patients who received IR therapies reported an improvement in pain control after the procedures. For hemangioma patients, the average pain score prior to IR intervention was 6, which decreased to 2 after treatment, reflecting a marked improvement in pain control. The average size of lesions in patients who underwent ablation or TACE was 7.2 cm before treatment, which reduced to 5.9 cm following the intervention.



Across all disease types, the most common outcome was that the majority of patients remained under multidisciplinary care (MDC), particularly for adenoma (79%), FNH (58%), cysts (42%), and hemangiomas (46%). For patients with cysts and hemangiomas, a significant portion no longer required follow-up after the initial IR treatment. In one case of a hemangioma, trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE) performed by IR served as a bridge to surgery



Conclusion: This study highlights the growing role of interventional radiology (IR) in managing not only malignant but benign liver tumors within a multidisciplinary clinic. IR interventions are technically successful, improve symptoms, especially pain, and enhance patient outcomes. The findings emphasize IR's increasing importance in both treatment and follow-up of benign liver tumors.