What's new in the other general journals

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7553.1327

BMJ 2006;332:1327 (3 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7553.1327

Practice

Short cuts

What's new in the other general journals

Alison Tonks, associate editor

atonks@bmj.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Current guidelines recommend yearly mammography for women withBRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, even though it isn't particularlysensitive. Adding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might help,but since MRI is 10 times more expensive could it ever be costeffective?

Researchers estimated that women screened by both methods everyyear would live two years longer with BRCA1 and about 18 monthslonger with BRCA2, compared with women screened by mammographyalone. They also estimated that each extra quality adjustedlife year (QALY) would cost between $45 000 (£24 000; ${euro}$ 35 000) and $700 000, depending on the age range screened andthe type of mutation. If we assume that society is willing topay up to $100 000 for each extra QALY, then annual MRI wouldbe cost effective for women with BRCA1 screened yearly betweenthe ages of 35 and 54. The same programme would be too expensivefor most . . . [Full text of this article]