Comparison of the costs of fine-needle aspiration and open surgical biopsy as methods for obtaining a pathologic diagnosis

✍ Scribed by Rimm, David L. ;Stastny, Janet F. ;Rimm, Eric B. ;Ayer, Sanjay ;Frable, William J.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 117 KB
• Volume: 81
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970225)81:1<51::aid-cncr11>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

case type, diagnosis, and indication for surgery. Charge-based cost estimations or 2 Division of Surgical Pathology, Medical Col-Relative Value Units were calculated using the 1995 Physicians' Fee Reference or lege of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth Univerpublished Medicare participant fees. The charges for the FNA procedure and open sity, Richmond, Virginia. surgical biopsy were compared, and all other biopsy-related costs were omitted. 3 Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of RESULTS. FNA provided a sufficient pathologic diagnosis to obviate open surgical Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. biopsy in 63-85% of the cases. Estimation of cost savings on the basis of the distribution of cases and indications for surgery suggested a savings of $250,000 to $750,000 per 1000 FNA performed, or approximately 5500 Relative Value Units.

CONCLUSIONS. This study quantifies the substantial savings that result from obtaining a pathologic diagnosis by the FNA procedure rather than open surgical biopsy.