Skip Navigation

JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2006 98(2):92-100; doi:10.1093/jnci/djj009
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (15)
Right arrow Request Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kulasingam, S. L.
Right arrow Articles by Goldie, S. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kulasingam, S. L.
Right arrow Articles by Goldie, S. J.
Related Collections
Right arrowEditorial about this Article
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press.

ARTICLE

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Based on the Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance/Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion Triage Study (ALTS)

Shalini L. Kulasingam, Jane J. Kim, William F. Lawrence, Jeanne S. Mandelblatt, Evan R. Myers, Mark Schiffman, Diane Solomon, Sue J. Goldie
For the ALTS Group

Affiliations of authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, NC (SLK, ERM); Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (JJK, SJG); Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center and Cancer Clinical and Economic Outcomes Core, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC (WFL, JSM); Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (MS), Division of Cancer Prevention (DS), National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD

Correspondence to: Shalini L. Kulasingam, PhD, Duke Center for Clinical Health Policy Research, 2200 W. Main St., Ste. 220, Durham, NC 27705 (e-mail: kulas002{at}mc.duke.edu).

Background: The ALTS (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance [ASCUS] and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion [LSIL] Triage Study) suggests that, for women diagnosed with ASCUS, human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing followed by referral to colposcopy of only those women with oncogenic HPV (i.e., HPV DNA testing) is as effective at detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 or cancer (CIN3+) as referring all women with ASCUS for immediate colposcopy. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of the ALTS trial to determine whether HPV DNA testing is a cost-effective alternative to immediate colposcopy or conservative management with up to three cytology examinations. Methods: Data from the ALTS trial were used in conjunction with medical care costs in a short-term decision model. The model compared the incremental costs per case of CIN3+ detected as measured by the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for the following management strategies for women with ASCUS: immediate colposcopy, HPV DNA testing, and conservative management with up to three cytology examinations. Results: The least costly and least sensitive strategy was conservative management with one repeat cytology examination using a threshold of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) for referral to colposcopy. Compared with this strategy, triage to colposcopy based on a positive HPV DNA test result had an ICER of $3517 per case of CIN3+ detected. Immediate colposcopy and conservative management with up to three repeat cytology visits detected fewer cases of CIN3+ and were more costly than HPV DNA testing. Immediate colposcopy became cost-effective at $20 370 compared with HPV DNA testing only if colposcopy and biopsy were assumed to be 100% sensitive. Conclusions: HPV DNA testing is an economically viable strategy for triage of ASCUS cytology. The less than perfect sensitivity of colposcopy and biopsy needs to be accounted for in future clinical guidelines and policy analyses.



Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?

Editorial about this Article

Human Papillomavirus Triage of Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance: Cost-Effective, But At What Cost?
Joy Melnikow and Stephen Birch
J Natl Cancer Inst 2006 98: 82-83. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
J. J. Kim, J. Ortendahl, and S. J. Goldie
Cost-Effectiveness of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Older Than 30 Years in the United States
Ann Intern Med, October 20, 2009; 151(8): 538 - 545.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
N. Wentzensen, P. E. Gravitt, D. Solomon, C. M. Wheeler, and P. E. Castle
A Study of Amplicor Human Papillomavirus DNA Detection in the Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance-Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion Triage Study
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2009; 18(5): 1341 - 1349.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Int J STD AIDSHome page
J. Monsonego, G. Pollini, M. J. Evrard, P. Sednaoui, L. Monfort, D. Quinzat, R. Dachez, and K. Syrjanen
Linear array genotyping and hybrid capture II assay in detecting human papillomavirus genotypes in women referred for colposcopy due to abnormal Papanicolaou smear
Int J STD AIDS, June 1, 2008; 19(6): 385 - 392.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
S. D. Datta, L. A. Koutsky, S. Ratelle, E. R. Unger, J. Shlay, T. McClain, B. Weaver, P. Kerndt, J. Zenilman, M. Hagensee, et al.
Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cytology in Women Screened for Cervical Cancer in the United States, 2003-2005
Ann Intern Med, April 1, 2008; 148(7): 493 - 500.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JNCI J Natl Cancer InstHome page
J. D. Goldhaber-Fiebert, N. K. Stout, J. A. Salomon, K. M. Kuntz, and S. J. Goldie
Cost-Effectiveness of Cervical Cancer Screening With Human Papillomavirus DNA Testing and HPV-16,18 Vaccination
J Natl Cancer Inst, March 5, 2008; 100(5): 308 - 320.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JNCI J Natl Cancer InstHome page
J. Melnikow and S. Birch
Human Papillomavirus Triage of Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance: Cost-Effective, But At What Cost?
J Natl Cancer Inst, January 18, 2006; 98(2): 82 - 83.
[Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.