The cost-effectiveness of screening for oral cancer in primary care
Speight P M, Palmer S, Moles D R, Downer M C, Smith D H, Henriksson M, Augustovski F
Record ID 32006000679
English
Authors' objectives:
The aim of this review is to use a decision-analytic model to determine the incremental costs and outcomes of alternative oral cancer screening programmes conducted in a primary care environment.
Authors' recommendations:
Opportunistic high-risk screening, particularly in general dental practice, may be cost-effective. This screening may more effectively be targeted to younger age groups, particularly 40;60 year olds. However, there is considerable uncertainty in the parameters used in the model, particularly malignant transformation rate, disease progression, patterns of self-referral and costs. Further study is needed on malignant transformation rates of oral potentially malignant lesions and to determine the outcome of treatment of oral potentially malignant lesions. Evidence has been published to suggest that intervention has no greater benefit than 'watch and wait'. Hence a properly planned randomised controlled trial may be justified. Research is also needed into the rates of progression of oral cancer and on referral pathways from primary to secondary care and their effects on delay and stage of presentation.
Authors' methods:
Systematic review
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.hta.ac.uk/1214
Year Published:
2006
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Primary Health Care
- Mass Screening
- Mouth Neoplasms
Contact
Organisation Name:
NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address:
NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name:
journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email:
journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright:
2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.