Ultrasound screening for thyroid nodules and cancer in individuals with family history of thyroid cancer: a micro-costing approach

Purpose: Screening programs that target healthy populations are an important tool for identifying unrecognized, asymptomatic disease. However, ultrasound screening for thyroid cancer has no obvious advantage in terms of cost-effectiveness in asymptomatic adults. There is far less consensus (and data) on the indications for screening in high-risk individuals. The aim of the study was to estimate the costs of ultrasound screening for individuals with first-degree family history of thyroid cancer. Methods: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2018 in the Thyroid Cancer Outpatient Clinic of a large teaching hospital in Rome, Italy. We estimated the costs of an ultrasound screening protocol using the micro-costing bottom-up method. Results: For individuals without thyroid nodules, the screening examination had an estimated cost of €66.21 per screenee. For those found to have unsuspicious nodules, the estimated cost rose to €119.52 per screenee, owing to the addition of thyroid function tests. The estimated cost of screening for a subject with newly diagnosed nodules that were submitted to cytology was €259.89. The total cost of screening for the entire population of 1176 individuals was € 118,133.85. The total expenditure to confirm a single thyroid cancer diagnosis was €10,598.71. Conclusion: A sonographic screening implies a significant direct expenditure and is likely to detect a very large number of individuals with benign nodules (more than 45 asymptomatic individuals are diagnosed with a thyroid nodule for each newly detected cancer case), whose long-term follow-up will further increase healthcare costs.