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Summary
Breast biopsies are costly, but using local anesthesia significantly reduces expenses. Improving patient selection for biopsies is crucial for cost-effectiveness in cancer diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Surgical Oncology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Third-party payors are increasing awareness of healthcare cost-effectiveness.
- Breast biopsy is a common procedure often subject to scrutiny regarding its cost-effectiveness.
- Data on the cost-effectiveness of breast biopsies is essential for informed healthcare decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the cost-effectiveness of breast biopsies at the University of New Mexico.
- To compare the cost-effectiveness of breast biopsies with mammographic screening and mammography in symptomatic patients.
- To analyze the impact of anesthesia type on the cost of breast biopsies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1064 patients with breast complaints and 516 breast biopsies from 1972-1978.
- Cost analysis based on October 1978-March 1979 hospital and professional fees.
- Comparison of cancer yield and cost per cancer identified with existing literature data.
Main Results:
- The average cost of a breast biopsy varied by anesthesia type: $1,216.00 (general), $751.00 (assisted local), and $520.00 (local).
- The overall cost for 516 breast biopsies was $448,794.00, averaging $6,411.00 per cancer diagnosed.
- Using local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia reduced biopsy costs by $694.00 per procedure.
Conclusions:
- Local anesthesia is more cost-effective than general anesthesia for breast biopsies.
- Enhanced patient selection is critical to improve the cost-effectiveness of breast cancer diagnosis.
- Current surgical practices for breast biopsy are more cost-effective than breast cancer screening via mammography.