title: Cost analysis of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: selected states, 2003 to 2004.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) was established by the U.S. Congress in 1990. In recent years, there has been an emphasis on ascertaining the NBCCEDP's costs of delivering screening and diagnostic services to medically underserved, low-income women. The objective of this report was to address 3 economic questions: What is the cost per woman served in the program, what is the cost per woman served by program component, and what is the cost per cancer detected through the program?
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors developed a questionnaire to systematically collect activity-based costs on screening for breast and cervical cancer from 9 participating programs. The questionnaire was developed based on well established methods of collecting cost data for program evaluation. Data were collected from July 2003 through June 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With in-kind contributions, the cost of screening services to women in 9 programs was estimated at $555 per woman served. Without in-kind contributions, this cost was $519. Among the program components, screening and coalitions/partnerships accounted for the highest and lowest cost per woman served, respectively. The median cost of screening a woman for breast cancer was $94, and the cost per breast cancer detected was $10,566. For cervical cancer, these costs were $56 and $13,340, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Costs per woman served, screened, and cancers detected are needed for programs to accurately determine the resources required to reach and screen eligible women. With limited program resources, these cost estimates can provide useful information to assist programs in planning and implementing cost-effective activities that could maximize the allocation of program resources.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. dce3@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Donatus U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Ekwueme
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Sujha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Florence K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Tangka
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bapat
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics*; D040841:Resource Allocation; D014481:United States; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*