Can preoperative MRI or core-needle biopsy cost-effectively spare more women with benign breast lesions from expensive and uncomfortable excisional biopsies? And can they do so without substantially increasing the risk of cancer progression during short-term follow-up?
As first reported at the 1997 RSNA meeting, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania believe that preoperative MRI or core-needle biopsy is cost-effective. The authors pegged the cost of excisional biopsy at $3,574, compared to $703 for MR imaging and $615 for core-needle biopsy.
The predicted life expectancies for patients undergoing the alternatives were very close: 17.409 quality-adjusted life-years for EXB patients vs. 17.405 for MRI and 17.398 for CNB. A strategy of using excisional biopsy on all patients would increase life expectancy by a maximum of 37 days at a much higher cost than the alternatives. The choice between MR and CNB was sensitive to estimates of breast cancer risk, with MR imaging being preferred as the risk increased, the authors found.
In summary, the researchers wrote, "Our results suggest that the current practice of referring all patients with suspicious breast lesions for EXB may not be optimal."
To see the full text of this article, visit
www.rsnajnls.org
As first reported at the 1997 RSNA meeting, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania believe that preoperative MRI or core-needle biopsy is cost-effective. The authors pegged the cost of excisional biopsy at $3,574, compared to $703 for MR imaging and $615 for core-needle biopsy.
The predicted life expectancies for patients undergoing the alternatives were very close: 17.409 quality-adjusted life-years for EXB patients vs. 17.405 for MRI and 17.398 for CNB. A strategy of using excisional biopsy on all patients would increase life expectancy by a maximum of 37 days at a much higher cost than the alternatives. The choice between MR and CNB was sensitive to estimates of breast cancer risk, with MR imaging being preferred as the risk increased, the authors found.
In summary, the researchers wrote, "Our results suggest that the current practice of referring all patients with suspicious breast lesions for EXB may not be optimal."
To see the full text of this article, visit
www.rsnajnls.org
