title: Economic evaluations of follow-up strategies for cancer survivors: a systematic review and quality appraisal of the literature.
abstract: The aim of this study was to review and critically assess the health economics literature on post-treatment follow-up for adult cancer survivors. A systematic search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist was adopted to assess the quality of the included studies. Thirty-nine articles met the eligibility criteria. Around two thirds of the studies addressed the most common cancers (i.e., breast, colorectal, cervical and lung); 21 were based on a single clinical study, while the rest were modeling papers. All types of economic evaluations were represented other than cost-benefit analysis. The overall quality was generally high with an average proportion of 74% of checklist criteria fulfilled. The cost-effectiveness results supported the current trend towards less intensive, primary care-based and risk-adapted follow-up schemes.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Health Services Research and Policy; Faculty of Public Health and Policy; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place London WC1H 9SH, UK.|b 2 CeRGAS (Research Centre on Health and Social Care Management), Bocconi University, Via Roentgen 1, 20136 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meregaglia
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Health Services Research and Policy; Faculty of Public Health and Policy; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place London WC1H 9SH, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cairns
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000191:economics*; D057189:Checklist; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics; D017741:Survivors
keywords: Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards; cancer; cost-effectiveness; economic evaluation; follow-up; quality; review