An interim determination of health gain from oral cancer and precancer screening: 2. Developing a model of population screening.

OBJECTIVE

To design a simulation model of population screening for oral cancer and precancer and to obtain estimates of quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and lives gained from screening, using decision analysis.

DESIGN

A hypothetical opportunistic screening programme was compared with the status quo (no screening). Variables included in the model were attendance (50 per cent of the eligible population); prevalence of oral cancer (0.098 per cent) and precancer (2.57 per cent), positive (0.67) and negative (0.99) predictive values of screening, stage distribution of cancer (40 per cent stage 1, 60 per cent stage 2+ without screening; 60 per cent stage 1, 40 per cent stage 2+ with screening); average survival (precancer, 19.2 years; stage 1, 14.6 years; stage 2+, 10.8 years); and the public's perceived utilities of the various outcomes (health, 1.00; precancer, 0.92; stage 1 cancer, 0.88; stage 2+ cancer, 0.68). One cycle of the programme was modelled.

SETTING

Screening would be carried out in dental practices.

PARTICIPANTS

A notional population of 100,000 adults of average age 55 years and 20 years life expectancy entered each decision pathway (screening or status quo).

INTERVENTIONS

Systematic clinical examination of the oral soft tissues.

OUTCOME MEASURES

QALYs and equivalent lives saved.

RESULTS

Assuming 50 per cent attended, the population offered screening achieved 1,993,094 QALYs. With no screening the corresponding end point was 1,992,982 QALYs. The gain from screening was therefore 56 QALYs representing an equivalent of 2.8 lives saved.

CONCLUSIONS

Though a simplification, this model is likely to be more reliable than intuitive prediction and is amenable to sensitivity analysis of different screening strategies. A modest health gain from screening was predicted by the model.