[Economic evaluation of "early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer"].
OBJECTIVE
In China, esophageal cancer is the forth death cause of malignant cancers. The survival rate of esophageal cancer patients is less than 10%. Early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer is essential to improve the survival rate of these patients. This study was to evaluate the economic and social benefits of the project "early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer" through cost-benefit analysis, so as to provide evidence to extend this project.


METHODS
Interview with structured questionnaires was conducted by stratified sampling among 136 esophageal cancer patients in 3 hospitals at Linzhou City, and a sampling survey was conducted among 53 patients at their homes afterwards. The 2 surveys measured the expense of "traditional treatment of esophageal cancer". Based on an intervention study of "early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer" among 936 persons at Linzhou City, cost-benefit analysis and the evaluation of economic burden of disease among esophageal cancer patients were carried out.


RESULTS
The expense of "traditional treatment of esophageal cancer" was 7,183 Yuan per patient. Regarding the 936 persons who were recruited to the intervention study, the cost was 148,246 Yuan, and the benefit was 589,006 Yuan. The difference between benefit and cost of the project was 440,760 Yuan. The benefit-cost ratio was 4:1. By the project, the ratio of the expense in treating disease to the total family income in 1 year was reduced from 1.300 to 0.125.


CONCLUSIONS
The cost of "early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer" is low, while the benefit is high, and the project can also lighten the economic burden of esophageal cancer patients.
Division of Social Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100083, P. R. China.
Zhao-Rui
ZR
Liu
Wen-Qiang
WQ
Wei
Yue-Qin
YQ
Huang
You-Lin
YL
Qiao
Ming
M
Wu
Zhi-Wei
ZW
Dong
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires