Screening for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been identified as a key research priority; however, no randomised control trials have been performed. Value of information analysis can determine whether further research on this topic is of value.
To determine (1) whether current evidence suggests that screening is potentially cost effective and, if so, (2) in which age/sex groups, (3) identify evidence gaps, and (4) estimate the value of further research to close those gaps.
A decision model was developed evaluating screening in asymptomatic individuals in the UK. A National Health Service perspective was adopted.
A single focused renal ultrasound scan compared with standard of care (no screening).
Expected lifetime costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), discounted at 3.5% per annum.
Given a prevalence of RCC of 0.34% (0.18-0.54%), screening 60-yr-old men resulted in an ICER of £18 092/QALY (€22 843/QALY). Given a prevalence of RCC of 0.16% (0.08-0.25%), screening 60-yr-old women resulted in an ICER of £37327/QALY (€47 129/QALY). In the one-way sensitivity analysis, the ICER was <£30000/QALY as long as the prevalence of RCC was ≥0.25% for men and ≥0.2% for women at age 60yr. Given the willingness to pay a threshold of £30000/QALY (€37 878/QALY), the population-expected values of perfect information were £194 million (€244 million) and £97 million (€123 million) for 60-yr-old men and women, respectively. The expected value of perfect parameter information suggests that the prevalence of RCC and stage shift associated with screening are key research priorities.
Current evidence suggests that one-off screening of 60-yr-old men is potentially cost effective and that further research into this topic would be of value to society.
Economic modelling suggests that screening 60-yr-old men for kidney cancer using ultrasound may be a good use of resources and that further research on this topic should be performed.
European urology focus. 2019 Sep 14 [Epub ahead of print]
Sabrina H Rossi, Tobias Klatte, Juliet A Usher-Smith, Kate Fife, Sarah J Welsh, Saeed Dabestani, Axel Bex, David Nicol, Paul Nathan, Grant D Stewart, Edward C F Wilson
Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK., Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Department of Urology, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, UK., The Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK., Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK., Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK., Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund, Sweden., The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Specialist Centre for Kidney Cancer, UK; Netherlands Cancer Institute, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Urology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK; Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK., Department of Oncology, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, UK., Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: ., Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research, University of Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, UK; Health Economics Group, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Electronic address: .