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  • Evaluating the Use of micro...
    Kapoor, Ritika; So, Jimmy B.Y.; Zhu, Feng; Too, Heng-Phon; Yeoh, Khay-Guan; Yoong, Joanne Su-Yin

    Value in health, September 2020, 2020-09-00, 20200901, Letnik: 23, Številka: 9
    Journal Article

    To evaluate cost-effectiveness of a novel screening strategy using a microRNA (miRNA) blood test as a screen, followed by endoscopy for diagnosis confirmation in a 3-yearly population screening program for gastric cancer. A Markov cohort model has been developed in Microsoft Excel 2016 for the population identified to be at intermediate risk (Singaporean men, aged 50-75 years with Chinese ethnicity). The interventions compared were (1) initial screening using miRNA test followed by endoscopy for test-positive individuals and a 3-yearly follow-up screening for test-negative individuals (proposed strategy), and (2) no screening with gastric cancer being diagnosed clinically (current practice). The model was evaluated for 25 years with a healthcare perspective and accounted for test characteristics, compliance, disease progression, cancer recurrence, costs, utilities, and mortality. The outcomes measured included incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, cancer stage at diagnosis, and thresholds for significant variables. The miRNA-based screening was found to be cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $40 971/quality-adjusted life-year. Key drivers included test costs, test accuracy, cancer incidence, and recurrence risk. Threshold analysis highlights the need for high accuracy of miRNA tests (threshold sensitivity: 68%; threshold specificity: 77%). A perfect compliance to screening would double the cancer diagnosis in early stages compared to the current practice. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis reported the miRNA-based screening to be cost-effective in >95% of iterations for a willingness to pay of $70 000/quality-adjusted life-year (approximately equivalent to 1 gross domestic product/capita) The miRNA-based screening intervention was found to be cost-effective and is expected to contribute immensely in early diagnosis of cancer by improving screening compliance. •Biomarker testing can offer effective cancer screening, enabling early diagnosis, but poses a risk of high testing costs and missed cases. Recently GastroClear, an in vitro test for gastric cancer–related microRNA, has been approved by the Singapore government. Nevertheless, there is a need to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of its implementation for population screening. This study addresses this evidence gap by:•Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of screening population every 3-years for the population at intermediate risk•Identifying the impact of screening on early diagnosis, significance of compliance, test accuracy, and testing costs•Studying outcomes to enable identification of the drivers/limitations that are crucial to achieve cost-effectiveness