Comparisons of cancer detection rate and costs for one cancer detected among different age-cohorts in immunochemical occult blood screening

Pm pose: This study was carried out to compare the detection rate for color ectal cancer and the average costs to detect one patient with colorectal ca ncer among three different age-cohorts in immunochemical occult blood scree ning by OC-Hemodia. Methods: In a population-screening program, 17,432 subj ects received an immunochemical fecal occult blood test. In a medical check up for colorectal cancer 7,232 subjects received colonoscopy. They were div ided into three groups according to their ages: younger (40-49 years); midd le (50-59); and older (60 +) groups. The detection rate for colorectal canc er and the average costs to detect one patient with colorectal cancer were evaluated among the three groups. Results: In the screening program-based s tudy, the cancer detection rate and the average costs for one colorectal ca ncer detected were calculated as 0.09% and $13,352, 0.28% and $4,555, 0.29% and $4,461 for the younger, middle, and older groups, respectively. In add ition, in the medical checkup-based study, the detection rate and the avera ge costs were calculated as 0.3% and $6,851, 1.5% and $1,517, 1.7% and $1,3 91 for the younger, middle, and older groups, respectively. In these two st udies, the cancer detection rates were significantly different between the younger and middle groups (P < 0.05), and between the younger and older gro ups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings indicate that the subjects aged under 50 have some disadvantage when carrying out the immunochemical fecal occult blood test - OC-Hemodia for colorectal cancer screening - from the viewpoint of screening efficiency as well as cost-effectiveness.