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Stockholm3 reduces prostate cancer treatment costs and enhances diagnostic precision

A recent study published in European Urology Open Science demonstrates that incorporating Stockholm3 into prostate cancer diagnostics can significantly reduce healthcare costs. Stockholm3, which combines genetic-, protein- and clinical markers, also provides a more accurate risk stratification for developing significant prostate cancer compared to PSA testing alone.

The study highlights that using Stockholm3 as a reflex test at elevated PSA levels can lower prostate cancer care expenses by 8 percent compared to standard PSA-based practices (1). This cost analysis is based on data from more than 12,000 men who underwent prostate cancer diagnostics in Sweden (2), complemented with cost data from eight European countries to ensure broad applicability.

Key conclusions of the study:

  • Cost Savings: Using Stockholm3 as a reflex test and PSA threshold of 1.5 ng/ml results in cost savings of EUR 358 (8%) per individual assessed, compared to PSA-MRI-based detection methods. This approach offers significant annual savings potential across European populations.
  • Cost Drivers: The primary driver is the expenditure associated with metastatic cancers. If the cancer is detected as a localized cancer in the prostate, by using Stockholm3 as an adjunct test to PSA 1.5 ng/ml, the cost of treatment is significantly lower.

“Several studies have shown that Stockholm3 can detect prostate cancer earlier and help identify aggressive cases while still treatable, which is crucial for patient outcomes. This comprehensive cost assessment demonstrates that early detection and stage migration with Stockholm3 also lead to reduced overall healthcare costs. This is particularly important given the ageing population and the expected increase in prostate cancer incidence,” says Hari Vigneswaran, Chief Medical Officer at A3P Biomedical.

(1) McLeod, O.D., et al., Cost Analysis of Prostate Cancer Care Using a Biomarker-enhanced Diagnostic Strategy with Stockholm3. European Urology Open Science, 2024. 66: p. 26-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2024.05.010
(2) Palsdottir, T. et al. The Capio Prostate Cancer Center Model for Prostate Cancer Diagnostics –Real-world Evidence from 2018 to 2022. Eur Urol Open Sci 61, 29-36 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2024.01.012