Cost analysis of aggressive breast cancer screening.

It is estimated that mammographic and physical examination (PE) screening would cost $3,866 per person year gained; screening with PE alone would cost $4,550. Sixty thousand person years are gained with combined screening, and 24,000 with PE alone per million women screened. The cost per cancer found is $9,046; for each highly curable cancer $26,961, and for each death averted $61,100. An estimated 16 years are added to each life saved. The cost per patient screening examination, using all techniques, is $20.04.