Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 May;189(5):512-7; discussion 517.
doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2005.01.027.

Clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of routine preoperative computed tomography scanning in patients with colon cancer

David C Mauchley  1 , Dana C Lynge, Lorrie A Langdale, Matthias G Stelzner, Charles N Mock, Kevin G Billingsley
Affiliations

Clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of routine preoperative computed tomography scanning in patients with colon cancer

David C Mauchley et al. Am J Surg. 2005 May.

Abstract

Background: The aims of this study were to assess the clinical utility of the practice of routine preoperative CT scanning and to determine its cost-effectiveness in colon cancer patients.

Methods: A 6-year database of colon cancer patients treated at a veterans affairs medical was reviewed to determine the influence of preoperative CT scanning on clinical management. Cost analysis involved comparison of the institutional cost of CT scanning with the cost savings provided by avoiding nontherapeutic operations.

Results: CT scans were obtained in 130 consecutive patients. CT scans provided information that was used in treatment planning in 43 (33%) patients and definitively altered the mode of treatment in 21 (16%) patients. The practice saved the institution $24,018 over 6 years.

Conclusion: Routine preoperative CT scanning definitively alters treatment in a small number of cases and is cost-effective.

PubMed Disclaimer