The cost-effectiveness of screening mammography

Cost-effectiveness analysis in health care is used to identify interventions that maximize benefit per dollar spent; such analyses are also used to prioritize the allocation of resources. The overall cost-effectiveness of screening mammography is similar to that of other commonly accepted medical procedures. Controversies such as the ages and intervals at which screening should occur have also been examined with cost-effectiveness analysis, and the resultant information may be helpful for health policy decisions. A discussion of analytical methods and results of recent cost-effectiveness studies of mammographic screening practices are presented.