Summary
The Mandelblatt et al.(2003) article examined the cost effectiveness of screening patients 65 years and older on the basis that such tests were warranted given the potential for sufficient treatments to be applied so as to prevent the spread of cancer and ensures that the patient live a longer life.
Such a position goes against the notion that elderly patients (65 years and older) should not be given mammogram screenings given the fact that their advanced ages means that should cancer be detected the various procedures that can be implemented to treat it (i.e. surgery or radiation therapy) may wind up killing the patient.
It must also be pointed out that other arguments which are on the opposite end of spectrum as that of Mandelblatt et al. (2003) point out that such elderly patients have a greater propensity to develop other illnesses/complications aside from cancer which may kill them earlier than the cancer itself.
Study Design
The study design was actually quite straight forward, Mandelblatt et al. (2003) performed a quantitative examination of statistical data which examined breast cancer screenings and evaluated the cost effectiveness of mammography for elderly patients.
This was done through an evaluation of the costs associated with the procedure, the possibility of treatment and the rate of survival for elderly patients that were detected with breast cancer. The study also examined how rates of detection (i.e. if a cancerous tumor is detected early on) factored heavily into the participation rates of older women who adhered to a set examination schedule for breast cancer detection (Mandelblatt et al., 2003)
Methods Utilized
In order to prove the cost effectiveness of their assumptions, Mandelblatt et al. (2003) conducted a systemic review of various articles obtained from MEDLINE dating back from January 1989 to March 2002 in order to examine studies that related to breast cancer screenings and their cost effectiveness throughout various age groups. This was done through the use of various keyword search terms which pertained to the topic that they were analyzing.
Results Interpretation
The practical significance of the findings of the study can be utilized as a means of helping to improve the current healthcare policy standpoints regarding cancer detection in older women by showing how screening patients who are 65 years or older can be cost effective given their survival rates and the fact that if the cancer can be detected early on it can be treated with a minimum amount of harm to the patient.
Study Strengths
The strength of this study lies in the sheer amount of data collected over the span of several months which enabled the researchers to effectively examine various aspects of their hypothesis. Through a combination of the data collected and the amount of academic research compiled, Mandelblatt et al. (2003) was able to present their data in an effective and easy to understand manner with an undeniable veracity in the results shown.
Study Limitations
One of the inherent limitations of the study is that it focused primarily on patients within the U.S. A broader approach would be necessary in order to determine the applicability of the methods utilized by the researchers on medical cases in other countries to see if the same level of cost effectiveness is present there or if it is primarily limited to the U.S. alone.
Reference
Mandelblatt, J., Teutsch, S.S., Hoerger, T., Siu, A.L., Atkins, D., Klein, J., et al. (2003). The cost-effectiveness of screening mammography beyond age 65-years: a systematic review of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine, 139(10), 835-842.