The (lack of) evidence continues to mount against whole-body CT screening
“The findings indicate that whole-body CT screening exams provide only minimal gains in life expectancy (approximately six days) at an average cost of $2,513 per patient, or an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $151,000 per life-year gained (relative to survival with no screening), making the procedure more expensive in cost per life-year gained than the majority of other healthcare interventions currently funded in the United States.
The study also found that for every 1,000 patients screened, an average of 908 would have at least one false-positive test result, requiring further testing. Health insurance would be responsible for the costs of most follow-up tests and treatments prompted by the CT examination, which could lead to increased healthcare costs across the board.“
