A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Performing Hepatitis B Screening Before Solid-Tumor Chemotherapy

Currently, routine screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is recommended for patients at risk for viral reactivation, including those undergoing chemotherapy for solid tumors. However, there is uncertainty over which patients to screen.

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HBV screening prior to solid-tumor chemotherapy. A Markov model was created for a hypothetical population of adult U.S. residents with a median age of 50 initiating chemotherapy for solid tumors. Three screening strategies were compared: screen all patients, screen high-risk patients only, and no screening. Entecavir prophylaxis was given to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)–positive patients, and surveillance was undertaken for patients who we…