Using Real-World Data to Determine Health System Costs of Ontario Women Screened for Breast Cancer

Abstract

Our study was to determine breast cancer screening costs in Ontario, Canada for screenings conducted through a formal (Ontario Breast Screening Program, OBSP) and informal (non-OBSP) screening program using administrative databases. Included women were 49–74 years of age when receiving screening mammograms between 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2019. Each woman was followed for a screening episode with screening and diagnostic components, and costs were calculated as an average cost per woman per month in 2021 Canadian dollars. The final cohort of 1,546,386 women screened had a mean age of 59.4 ± 7.1 years and ~87% were screened via OBSP. The average total cost per woman per month was $136 ± $103, $134 ± $103 and $155 ± $104 for the entire, OBSP and non-OBSP cohorts, respectively. This was further disaggregated into the average total screening cost per month, which was $103 ± $8, $100 ± $4 and $117 ± $9 per woman, and the average total diagnostic cost per woman per month at $219 ± $166, $228 ± $165 and $178 ± $159. for the entire, OBSP and non-OBSP cohorts, respectively. These results indicate similar screening costs across the different cohorts, but higher diagnostic costs for the OBSP cohort.