Patterns of Medical Care Cost by Service Type Associated with Lung Cancer Screening

TL;DR

This study examines how lung cancer screening impacts healthcare costs, finding that screening increases short-term costs but may reduce long-term treatment expenses due to earlier detection.

Contribution

It provides real-world evidence on the cost implications of lung cancer screening across multiple healthcare systems, including secondary analyses on cancer diagnosis costs.

Findings

LCS increases healthcare costs by approximately $3,698 in the year following screening.

LCS prior to cancer diagnosis may reduce treatment costs compared to unscreened diagnosed cases.

Screening improves early detection, potentially leading to cost savings in treatment.

Abstract

Introduction: Lung cancer screening (LCS) increases early-stage cancer detection which may reduce cancer treatment costs. Little is known about how receipt of LCS affects healthcare costs in real-world clinical settings. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed utilization and cost data from the Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process Lung Consortium. We included individuals who met age and smoking LCS eligibility criteria and were engaged within four healthcare systems between February 5, 2015, and December 31, 2021. Generalized linear models estimated healthcare costs from the payer perspective during 12-months prior and 12-months post baseline LCS. We compared these costs to eligible individuals who did not receive LCS. Sensitivity analyses expanded our sample to age-eligible individuals with any smoking history noted in the electronic health record. Secondary analyses examined costs among a sample diagnosed with lung cancer. We reported mean predicted costs with average values for all other explanatory variables. Results: We identified 10,049 eligible individuals who received baseline LCS and 15,233 who did not receive baseline LCS. Receipt of baseline LCS was associated with additional costs of $3,698 compared to individuals not receiving LCS. Secondary analyses showed suggestive evidence that LCS prior to cancer diagnosis decreased healthcare costs compared to cancer diagnosed without screening. Conclusion: These findings suggest LCS increases healthcare costs in the year following screening. However, LCS also improves early-stage cancer detection and may reduce treatment costs following diagnosis. These results can inform future simulation models to guide LCS recommendations, and aid health policy decision makers on resource allocation.