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Cost effectiveness of detecting Barrett's cancer.

1996; BMJ; Volume: 39; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/gut.39.4.574

1468-3288

Timothy Wright, Michael R. Gray, A I Morris, Ian Gilmore, Anthony Ellis, H Smart, M.W. Myskow, Jennifer Nash, R J Donnelly, Andrew N. Kingsnorth,

Gastric Cancer Management and Outcomes

BACKGROUND: Screening Barrett9s oesophagus is controversial owing to a large variation in the reported incidence of neoplastic change and lack of evidence that screening improves tumour prognosis. AIMS: To determine the incidence of Barrett9s cancer, its cost of detection, and stage of disease at time of diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from our surveillance programme have been reviewed to assess the incidence of malignant change, tumour stage at diagnosis, and the cost per cancer detected. RESULTS: 166 patients had annual endoscopic surveillance. Six patients (five men) developed cancer-an incidence of one cancer per 59 male and 167 female patient-years of follow up. The screened group had a significantly earlier stage than a control group of unscreened cancers (p < 0.05). The cost of detecting one cancer was Pounds 14 868 for men and Pounds 42 084 for women. CONCLUSIONS: The cost of screening for Barrett9s cancer is high but may be justified on the basis of the high incidence of detecting early stage disease.