Cost and clinical benefit of imaging surveillance after treatment for breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)

Recent UK guidelines recommend that surveillance imaging should not be offered to patients who have undergone treatment for breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) unless clinically indicated. The aim of this study was to explore the evolving practice at a tertiary referral unit and quantify the direct economic costs (DEC) associated with post-treatment BIA-ALCL routine radiological surveillance prior to adoption of the guidelines. Eleven patients were treated for BIA-ALCL between 2015 and 2020. At a median follow-up of 38 months (IQR 12-47) there were no local or distant relapses. Two patients did not have any radiological surveillance and 1 had follow-up elsewhere. The remaining 8 patients had a combination of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) (n = 10), CT (n = 2), breast ultrasound (n = 6), mammogram (n = 4) and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n = 1) as routine imaging follow-up not guided by clinical concerns. Total cost of imaging was 10,396 pound ( euro 12,257) with a median cost of 1953 pound ((SIC) 2304) per patient [IQR 526-2029 pound ((SIC) 621-2394)]. This cost could have been saved based on current guidelines recommending no routine surveillance for asymptomatic patients. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd, BASO The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the practice of radiological surveillance in patients treated for breast implant-associated lymphoma and assessed the associated economic costs. Based on the findings, routine surveillance may not be necessary for asymptomatic patients according to current guidelines.