La costo-efficacia della tomografia computerizzata a basse dosi di radiazioni nello screening per il tumore al polmone: una revisione sistematica della letteratura

[Autom. eng. transl.] Introduction: On December 31, 2013, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated its recommendations, attributing the recommendation level "B" to the use of low-dose computed tomography radiation in lung cancer screening. However, the recommendations of the USPSTF did not consider the economic implications of screening for large-scale lung cancer, which therefore remains the subject of debate. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to analyze the cost-effectiveness evidence of screening for lung cancer by computerized tomography existing in the literature. Methods: The systematic literature search was conducted on the MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science and Cochrane databases, and considered only the studies published in English until March 31st 2015. All the complete and original economic evaluations in which the Study results were expressed in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) or years of life earned (LYGs). Results: Nine economic assessments were considered eligible for systematic review. Preliminary analysis reveals high variability in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios reported by different studies, ranging in range from US $ 1,464 / QALY saved to US $ 169,000 / QALY saved. Conclusion: The cost-effectiveness data of the screening for lung cancer by means of computerized tomography currently existing in the literature do not allow to draw any definitive conclusion regarding its use on a large scale.