Cost-effectiveness of MRI targeted biopsy strategies for diagnosing prostate cancer in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of six diagnostic strategies involving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) targeted biopsy for diagnosing prostate cancer in initial and repeat biopsy settings from the Singapore healthcare system perspective. METHODS: A combined decision tree and Markov model was developed. The starting model population was men with mean age of 65 years referred for a first prostate biopsy due to clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. The six diagnostic strategies were selected for their relevance to local clinical practice. They comprised MRI targeted biopsy following a positive pre-biopsy multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) [Prostate Imaging - Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score ≥ 3], systematic biopsy, or saturation biopsy employed in different testing combinations and sequences. Deterministic base case analyses with sensitivity analyses were performed using costs from the healthcare system perspective and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained as the outcome measure to yield incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). RESULTS: Deterministic base case analyses showed that Strategy 1 (MRI targeted biopsy alone), Strategy 2 (MRI targeted biopsy ➔ systematic biopsy), and Strategy 4 (MRI targeted biopsy ➔ systematic biopsy ➔ saturation biopsy) were cost-effective options at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of US$20,000, with ICERs ranging from US$18,975 to US$19,458. Strategies involving MRI targeted biopsy in the repeat biopsy setting were dominated. Sensitivity analyses found the ICERs were affected mostly by changes to the annual discounting rate and prevalence of prostate cancer in men referred for first biopsy, ranging between US$15,755 to US$23,022. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed Strategy 1 to be the least costly, and Strategies 2 and 4 being the preferred strategies when WTP thresholds were US$20,000 and US$30,000, respectively. LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: This study found MRI targeted biopsy to be cost-effective in diagnosing prostate cancer in the biopsy-naïve setting in Singapore.

Bioinspired bi-phasic 3D nanoflowers of MgO/Mg(OH)2 coated melamine sponge as a novel bactericidal agent.

By roughly mimicking the surface architectural design of dragonfly wings, novel bi-phasic 3D nanoflowers of MgO/Mg(OH)2 were successfully synthesized via the electrospinning technique. The 3D nanoflowers were coated over a commercial melamine sponge and extensively characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, and EDS. The formation of distinct dense 3D nano petals was revealed by SEM images whereby the mean petal thickness and mean distance between the adjacent petals were found to be 36 nm and 121 nm, respectively. The bactericidal activities of synthesized 3D nano-flowers coated melamine sponges were assessed against five different bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). This study demonstrated significant bactericidal activity of MgO/Mg(OH)2 3D nanoflowers coated MS against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Plausible bactericidal mechanisms include envelope deformation, penetration, and induction of oxidative stress. This study introduces novel bioinspired biomaterial with the capacity to reduce the risk associated with pathogenic bacterial infections, especially in medical devices.