OBJECTIVETo evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two breast cancer screening modalities conducted in Minhang district of Shanghai, China.

METHODSAn organized and an opportunistic breast screening programs were implemented among women aged 35-74 years in Minhang district of Shanghai between May 2008 and Oct 2010, and were compared with the results obtained without screening. Costs related to screening were obtained by access to finance data of the screening programs, and costs of first treatment were collected through patient survey and medical reimbursement system query. Information on breast cancer stage was obtained from Shanghai Cancer Registry and confirmed by medical chart review. The effectiveness of screening was evaluated by breast cancer stage improvement.Cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs) were computed as costs of gaining a stage improvement from a specified screening strategy when compared with the results obtained without screening. Incremental cost-effectiveness (ICER) which compares the two screening strategies was calculated by dividing the difference in total net costs and the difference in stages improved between the two screening strategies.

RESULTSThirty-five, one hundred and ninety-three and four hundred and seventy-nine breast cancer cases were identified in the organized screening, opportunistic screening and control groups, with an early detection rate of 46.9%, 40.7% and 38.9%, respectively. The costs of screening were 208 yuan per person or 72 453 yuan per case detected in the organized screening group and were 21 yuan per person or 11 640 yuan per case detected in the opportunistic screening group. The total cost was 103 650 yuan per case in the organized screening group, significantly higher than 50 712 yuan in the opportunistic screening group and 35 413 yuan in the control group. However, the average direct medical cost was significantly lower in the organized screening group than that in the opportunistic screening group and control group, with median costs of 11 024 yuan, 13 465 yuan and 14 243 yuan per case, respectively (P<0.001). The additional cost per case detected was 68 237 yuan for the organized screening and 15 299 yuan for opportunistic screening. The CERs were 135 291 yuan and 152 179 yuan per stage improved in the organized screening and opportunistic screening relative to the control group, with ICER of organized versus opportunistic screening being 131 086 yuan per stage improved.

CONCLUSIONSThe organized screening modality and the opportunistic one are both effective in early detecting breast cancer in Chinese women. The organized screening costs more than opportunistic screening, but with a better cost-effectiveness. It may be used as an option in economically developed areas of China.

Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; China ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Early Detection of Cancer ; economics ; Female ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; economics ; Middle Aged ; Program Development ; economics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objectives:To understand the association between obesity and the risk for colorectal advanced adenoma.Methods:Community residents aged 45 to 74 who had participated in the Shanghai community-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening project in 2008 were included in our study. Anthropometries information including body weight, height and risk factors for colorectal advanced adenoma were collected. Results on colonoscopic diagnosis and personal health records were used for supplementary outcome information retrieval. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the hazard ratio ( HR) and 95 %CI of obesity on the risk for colorectal advanced adenoma. Results:20 811 residents were followed up for 122 739.36 person-years, with a median follow-up time of 5.87 years. A total of 657 cases of advanced adenomas were identified. After adjusting for potential confounding risk factors such as age, sex, family history of CRC, level of education, marriage, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, foods intake including fat, fried or pickled, vegetables and fruits etc., the HR was 1.25 (95 %CI: 1.04-1.51) for obese people when compared with the normal weight persons. Further stratified analysis by age, gender and family history of CRC, results showed that obese people had a much higher risk of colorectal advanced adenoma than those with normal weight (male: HR=1.57, 95 %CI: 1.20-2.04; more than 60- year-old: HR=1.63, 95 %CI: 1.23-2.16). Conclusion:Data from this large scale population-based study revealed that obesity might be an independent risk factor for colorectal advanced adenoma and the risk increases along with the increase of BMI in China.