Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2026
Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of an Orthotopic Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Model
Published on: April 18, 2015
Pancreatic cancer: cost-effectiveness of imaging technologies for assessing resectability
P M McMahon1, E F Halpern, C Fernandez-del Castillo
1Decision Analysis and Technology Assessment Group, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Zero Emerson Pl, Suite 2H, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Purpose:
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of imaging strategies for the assessment of resectability in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Materials And Methods:
A decision model was developed to calculate costs and benefits (survival) accruing to hypothetical cohorts of patients with known or suspected pancreatic cancer. Results are presented as cost per life-year gained under various scenarios and assumptions of diagnostic test characteristics, surgical mortality, disease characteristics, and costs.
Results:
With best estimates for all data inputs, the strategy of computed tomography (CT) followed by laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography (US) had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $87,502 per life-year gained, compared with best supportive care. This strategy was significantly more cost-effective than CT followed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and was significantly less expensive than other imaging strategies while providing a statistically and clinically insignificant difference in life-year gains. A strategy involving no imaging (immediate surgery) was more expensive but less effective than all imaging strategies. A hypothetical perfect test with cost equal to that of CT followed by MR had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $64,401 per life-year gained, compared to best supportive care.
Conclusion:
Most available imaging tests for assessing resectability of pancreatic cancer do not differ in effectiveness, but a strategy of CT, laparoscopy, and laparoscopic US would consistently result in significantly lower costs than other imaging tests under a wide range of scenarios.
