Cost-effectiveness of screening for colorectal cancer: a simulation model.

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of mortality in Western countries, although early detection of the disease is known to improve survival. Recent developments in medical technology have made mass population screening a practicable proposition and a number of randomized controlled trials of screening are currently being conducted. This paper reports on the construction of a computer simulation model of the cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening, being developed in conjunction with a major UK trial. Based on accumulated trial data and semi-Markov descriptions of the disease process, the model will facilitate the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a variety of screening modalities, with a view to informing policy in the future.