An ICEP paper has been published online in Pharmacoeconomics:
Lead author Edna Keeney summarises the paper:
Most guidelines in the UK, Europe and North America do not recommend organised population-wide screening for prostate cancer. Prostate-specific antigen-based screening can reduce prostate cancer-specific mortality, but there are concerns about overdiagnosis, overtreatment and economic value. The aim of this piece of work was therefore to assess the cost effectiveness of eight potential prostate cancer screening strategies in the UK. We used a cost-utility analysis with an individual-based simulation model. The model was calibrated to data from the 10-year follow-up of the Cluster Randomised Trial of PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer (CAP) and treatment effects were modelled using data from the Prostate Testing for Cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) trial. The model found that all screening strategies increased costs compared with no screening, with the majority also increasing quality-adjusted life-years. At willingness-to-pay thresholds of £20,000 or £30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, a once-off screening at age 50 years was optimal, although this was sensitive to the utility estimates used. An additional follow-up of CAP to 15 years may reduce uncertainty about the cost effectiveness of the screening strategies.