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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Oct 17;18(12):2760–2767.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2019.10.021

Cost-effectiveness of Active Identification and Subsequent Colonoscopy Surveillance of Lynch Syndrome Cases

Elisabeth FP Peterse 1, Steffie K Naber 1, Corinne Daly 2, Aaron Pollett 3,4, Lawrence F Paszat 5, Manon CW Spaander 6, Melyssa Aronson 7, Robert Gryfe 7,8, Linda Rabeneck 9, Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar 1,*, Nancy N Baxter 10,*
PMCID: PMC7162709  NIHMSID: NIHMS1544480  PMID: 31629885

Abstract

Background & Aims:

The province of Ontario, Canada, is considering immunohistochemical followed by cascade analyses of all patients who received a diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) at an age younger than 70 years to identify individuals with Lynch syndrome. We evaluated the costs and benefits of testing for Lynch syndrome and determined the optimal surveillance interval for first-degree relatives (FDRs) found to have Lynch syndrome.

Methods:

We developed a patient flow diagram to determine costs and yield of immunohistochemical testing for Lynch syndrome in CRC cases and, for those found to have Lynch syndrome, their FDRs, accounting for realistic uptake. Subsequently, we used the MISCAN-colon model to compare costs and benefits of annual, biennial, and triennial surveillance in FDRs identified with Lynch syndrome vs colonoscopy screening every 10 years (usual care for individuals without a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome).

Results:

Testing 1000 CRC cases was estimated to identify 20 CRC index cases and 29 FDRs with Lynch syndrome at a cost of $310,274. Despite the high cost of Lynch syndrome tests, offering the FDRs with Lynch syndrome biennial colonoscopy surveillance was cost effective at $8785 per life-year gained compared with usual care, due to a substantial increase in life-years gained (+122%) and cost savings in CRC care. Triennial surveillance was more costly and less effective, and annual surveillance showed limited additional benefit compared with biennial surveillance.

Conclusions:

Immunohistochemical testing for Lynch syndrome in persons younger than 70 years who received a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and then testing first-degree relatives of those found to have Lynch syndrome, provides a good balance between costs and long-term benefits. Colonoscopy surveillance every 2 years is the optimal surveillance interval for patients with Lynch syndrome.

Keywords: colon, polyp, risk, family

Introduction

Lynch Syndrome (LS) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder, caused by a germline mutation in one of the DNA mismatch repair genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 or PMS2) or by last exomes deletions of EPCAM. LS is the most common cause of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC), and accounts for approximately 3% of all CRC cases.1 Individuals with LS have a 15-66% probability of developing CRC before the age of 70 years, depending on sex and type of mutation.27 The average age of CRC diagnosis in LS cases is 45 years,3 which is substantially younger than the general population in which the majority of CRC cases is diagnosed in individuals aged 65 or older.8 Intensive colonoscopy surveillance in LS cases that have not developed CRC yet has been shown to lead to a substantial reduction in CRC incidence and mortality.9 However, in order to qualify for such intensive surveillance, individuals first need to be identified with LS. Historically, identification of individuals with LS has been based on the Amsterdam or revised Bethesda criteria.10 However, sensitivity and specificity of these criteria are limited, and because both sets of criteria rely on accurate family history, their implementation in routine clinical practice has been poor.10

More recently, laboratory-based testing of CRC cases through immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been suggested as a more effective pathway for identifying individuals with LS.10 First-degree relatives (FDRs) of LS-positive cases can undergo cascade testing: genetic counseling and testing for a known germline mutation in a mismatch repair gene. Those with LS can then be offered intensified colonoscopy surveillance to enable timely detection of CRC. Compared to currently used criteria, programmatic IHC testing is likely to increase the number of LS identifications. Therefore, the province of Ontario, Canada, is currently considering introducing reflex testing of all CRC cases under age 70 years.11 In this study, we 1) evaluated the costs and life-years gained (LYG) of IHC testing for LS followed by cascade testing in CRC cases below age 70 and 2) determined the optimal colonoscopy surveillance interval in LS identified FDRs.

Methods

A pathway from CRC diagnosis to the identification of FDRs with LS, including the associated probabilities and costs, was developed based on experience at the Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, supplemented with literature. Subsequently, we used the Microsimulation Screening Analysis (MISCAN)-Colon decision model to estimate costs and LYG of triennial, biennial and annual colonoscopy in identified FDRs with LS. We compared results with that of colonoscopy screening every 10 years, the recommended strategy for individuals without an increased risk of CRC. Costs and LYG in both steps were combined to determine overall cost-effectiveness of universal LS testing and subsequent intensive colonoscopy surveillance.

Development of patient flow diagram

Figure 1 and Appendix Table 1 describe the flow of CRC patients and their FDRs through IHC testing for LS. The patient flow diagram does not reflect cases that are missed due to a lack of test sensitivity. First, all CRC diagnosed under age 70 years are tested for expression deficiencies of MLH1, MSH2/6 and PMS2. Cases with MSH2/6 or PMS2 deficiencies are directly referred to a patient navigator, who informs them about the possibility of undergoing germline testing. The genomic DNA of tumors that lack MLH1 expression is first tested for the BRAF V600E mutation. If the tumor is BRAF wildtype, methylation of the MLH1 promoter is determined. Patients with MLH1 negative tumors are only referred to a patient navigator if they are BRAF wildtype and do not have hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter (Figure 1). CRC cases that have a germline mutation receive post-test genetic counselling in which FDRs are traced. We assumed an average of 5.96 FDRs per CRC case diagnosed with LS.12 These FDRs are offered genetic counseling, subsequent germline testing and, if positive for LS, post-test genetic counseling (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Patient flow diagram of CRC index cases and cascade testing.

CRC = Colorectal cancer, IHC= Immunohistochemistry, LS= Lynch syndrome, FDR= First-degree relative

MISCAN-Colon microsimulation model

MISCAN-Colon is a well-established microsimulation model for CRC developed at the Department of Public Health of the Erasmus MC, University Medical Center (Rotterdam, the Netherlands). The model’s structure, underlying assumptions and calibration for the Canadian setting have been described elsewhere.13 In brief, MISCAN-Colon simulates the life histories of a large population of persons from birth to death, with adenoma prevalence and CRC incidence as observed in the Canadian population. By comparing all life histories with and without screening and surveillance, MISCAN-Colon quantifies the effectiveness of screening and surveillance as well as the associated costs.

Model adjustments for the Lynch syndrome population

We adjusted the MISCAN-Colon model built for the general Canadian population to reflect the LS population by assuming that, on average, adenomas progress 10 times faster (Appendix Table 2). Adenoma onset was then calibrated to the age-specific cumulative CRC risk described by Bonadona et al.,3 assuming an average CRC risk of 42% at age 80 for both sexes. We assumed the same difference in relative risk between men and women as modeled for the general population (Appendix Figure 1). As LS cases have a better overall colorectal cancer survival, we adjusted survival in the MISCAN-colon model using an hazard ratio of overall survival of 0.65 compared to the general population.14 We assumed no differences in CRC stage distribution or other-cause mortality between LS patients and the average-risk population.

Simulated population

For each screening and surveillance strategy, we simulated a cohort of 10 million individuals identified with LS in year 2015 to generate stable model results. Their median age was 42 years, with an interquartile range of 31-55 years in accordance with the age distribution of LS-identified FDRs in a Dutch study.12 Distribution by sex was based on the percentage of women in the 2015 Ontario population, accounting for the age distribution of the FDRs.15

LS testing and colonoscopy surveillance strategies

We simulated five LS testing and colonoscopy strategies for LS positive FDRs:

  1. No LS testing and no colonoscopy screening.

  2. No LS testing. FDRs are offered colonoscopy screening every 10 years at ages 50-80 years (i.e. usual care).

  3. LS testing. FDRs with LS are offered triennial colonoscopy surveillance at ages 25-59 years, extending the surveillance interval to 5 years at ages 60-80 if no adenomas are detected.16

  4. LS testing. Similar to strategy 3, except that LS positive FDRs are offered biennial surveillance rather than triennial surveillance.

  5. LS testing. Similar to strategy 3, except that LS positive FDRs are offered annual surveillance rather than triennial surveillance.

We assumed a 60% screening participation for the usual care strategy (strategy 2).17 For strategies 3-5, we assumed an 80% surveillance adherence for LS positive FDRs,10, 1820 irrespective of the surveillance interval.

The analysis was conducted from a third party health-care payer perspective. All costs were expressed in 2018 Canadian dollars (Figure 1, Appendix Table 3). Colonoscopy test characteristics have been published previously (Appendix Table 4).13 For 10-yearly colonoscopy screening, individuals with adenomas detected and removed at screening at any age enter a surveillance regimen, for which we assumed 100% adherence. This entails a subsequent colonoscopy in 3 years in case of high-risk findings (i.e. one adenoma ≥10mm or ≥3 adenomas <10mm) and in 5 years in case of low-risk findings (i.e. ≤2 adenomas <10mm). For any of the simulated strategies, individuals with adenomas detected at their last scheduled colonoscopy will undergo such surveillance beyond age 80 until no adenomas are detected.

Outcomes

For all strategies, we evaluated the number of CRC cases and deaths, the costs of diagnosing CRC cases through symptoms and the costs of CRC treatment. For strategy 2 (usual care), the LYG and associated costs from colonoscopy screening compared to strategy 1 (no screening) were also evaluated. For strategies 3–5 with intensified colonoscopy surveillance for LS positive FDRs, we estimated costs for LS testing of the index cases and their FDRs, if applicable, and downstream LYG and costs of CRC surveillance of LS positive FDRs. We used this to calculate the average cost-effectiveness ratio (ACER; compared to usual care) of LS testing followed by intensified colonoscopy surveillance for LS positive FDRs, assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per LYG. Furthermore, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of the different strategies were evaluated. Costs and LYG were discounted at an annual rate of 3% to the year in which the index case was diagnosed with CRC. The results section starts with costs of LS testing per 1,000 CRC cases, but they are then converted to costs per 1,000 FDRs identified with LS, and all subsequent outcomes of colonoscopy screening and surveillance are presented per 1,000 FDRs with identified LS.

Sensitivity analyses

To evaluate the robustness of our results, we varied all parameters in one-way sensitivity analyses (Appendix Table 13), in addition to evaluating a scenario in which 5-yearly colonoscopy instead of 10-yearly colonoscopy is the usual care and a scenario in which the surveillance interval between ages 60 to 80 is not extended when no adenomas are detected. As the progression rate of CRC in LS is uncertain, we evaluated 0x, 2x, 5x, 10x and 20x faster adenoma progression than the general population. For these five progression rates, adenoma onset was recalibrated to obtain a uniform age-specific CRC incidence.3 Furthermore, a probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the uncertainty of our estimates (Appendix Table 13). Each of the progression assumption was used in 20% of the runs. For the probability parameters, 1000 values were drawn from beta distributions; gamma distribution were used for all other parameters.

Results

LS testing in index CRC cases and first-degree relatives

Testing 1,000 index CRC cases for LS through IHC and subsequent germline testing identified twenty LS cases (Figure 1), with an associated cost of $278,558 (Appendix Table 5). The costs of cascade testing of the 119 family members of those twenty LS cases were estimated at an additional $31,716 , and resulted in the identification of 29 FDRs with LS. Overall tumor testing of 1,000 index CRC cases for LS would thus cost $310,274 to identify 29 FDRs with LS, which corresponds to $10.462 million per 1,000 LS positive FDRs (Table 1).

Table 1.

Base case results per 1,000 first-degree relatives with Lynch Syndrome.

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsa,b (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)
No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS Testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 4.237 53.048 67.747 722 9,670 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 5.669 51.441 67.573 741 8,785 8,785
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 9.932 49.743 70.138 753 14,655 218,647

CRC= Colorectal Cancer, LS= Lynch Syndrome, LYG= Life-Years Gained, ACER= Average Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, ICER= Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, D= Dominated.

a.

CRC cases and deaths include those from LS diagnosis until death.

b.

Results were discounted at an annual rate of 3%.

c.

Include total costs of screening CRC index cases and their FDRs, including LS negative and non-participants.

d.

Include costs of CRC screening, diagnosis and surveillance.

e.

Compared to no LS screening.

CRC surveillance in first-degree relatives with LS

In the absence of CRC screening, MISCAN-Colon predicted 359 CRC cases and 165 CRC deaths per 1,000 LS positive FDRs of CRC patients diagnosed below the age of 70, from their LS diagnosis until death (Table 1). Associated costs of CRC diagnosis and care were estimated at $67.465 million. In the strategy without LS testing but with 10-yearly colonoscopy screening at 60% participation (usual care), the number of CRC cases and deaths was reduced to 308 (−14%) and 112 (−33%) per 1,000 LS positive FDRs, respectively. This strategy gained 334 life-years per 1,000 LS positive FDRs compared to no screening. Total costs of usual care were $63.992 million per 1,000 FDRs, and therefore usual care was cost-saving compared to no CRC screening.

LS testing was very cost-effective compared to no LS testing. The benefits of LS testing depend on the subsequent colonoscopy surveillance that is offered to the FDRs that are identified with LS. Compared to the care these FDRs would receive had they not been diagnosed with LS, universal LS testing through IHC and subsequent intensified colonoscopy surveillance resulted in 722 (+116%), 741 (+122%), and 753 (+126%) LYG per 1,000 FDRs with LS, and increased CRC screening and surveillance costs to $4.237 million (+291%), $5.669 million (+423%), and $9.932 million (+816%) for triennial, biennial and annual surveillance from age 25 (Table 1), respectively. The shorter the surveillance interval, the more CRC cases are averted, and therefore CRC care costs are lower. Strikingly, the total costs of LS testing, CRC surveillance and CRC care of offering biennial surveillance to LS cases were lower than those of triennial surveillance. The number of LYG per 1,000 LS positive FDRs was 741 for biennial surveillance, resulting in an ICER of $8,785 compared to usual care. Offering LS cases annual colonoscopy surveillance minimally increased the number of LYG (753, +1.6%) and increased total costs by approx. $2.565 million (+3.8%) per 1000 LS positive FDRs, resulting in an unfavorable ICER of $218,647 per LYG compared to biennial colonoscopy surveillance (Table 1).

Sensitivity analyses

The ICER of reflex tumor testing for all patients with CRC below age 70 followed by biennial colonoscopy compared to 10-yearly colonoscopy for FDRs identified with LS varied between being Cost-Saving and $34,230 in our one-way sensitivity analyses (Appendix Figure 2, Appendix Table 6). The ICER of universal tumor testing followed by annual colonoscopy of FDRs with LS exceeded the threshold of $100,000 per LYG in all sensitivity and scenario analyses, except in the scenario where a cumulative CRC risk of 60% at age 80 was assumed for LS cases (Appendix Table 6) and the scenario in which it assumed that the adenoma progression of LS cases is 20x faster than the general population, which resulted in ICERs of $95,197 and $93,835. Finally, at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000, LS testing with subsequent biennial colonoscopy surveillance was the optimal strategy in 77.2% of our probabilistic sensitivity analyses (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Cost-effectiveness acceptability curve of the probabilistic sensitivity analyses. CRC = Colorectal cancer, LS= Lynch syndrome,

Discussion

The results of this study suggest that programmatic testing for LS with IHC in patients with CRC diagnosed under age 70 years followed by cascade testing is very cost-effective, and that biennial colonoscopy surveillance of identified FDRs with LS is optimal. Testing tumors of 1,000 CRC patients for LS was estimated to result in the identification of 29 FDRs with LS, at a cost of $310,274. Despite the high cost of LS testing, offering these FDRs with LS biennial versus 10-yearly colonoscopy screening resulted in a favorable ICER of $8,785 due to a substantial increase in LYG (+122%) and cost savings in CRC care. Strikingly, due to cost savings in CRC care, the total costs of biennial surveillance were lower than those of triennial surveillance. Annual colonoscopy surveillance provided little benefit compared to biennial surveillance at a much higher cost, resulting in an ICER of $218,647. LS testing with biennial colonoscopy surveillance was the optimal strategy in 77.2% of our probabilistic sensitivity analyses (willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000), demonstrating the robustness of our conclusion.

With LS testing costs of more than $10,000 per LS positive FDR identified, investigating the presence of LS in all CRC index cases <70 years and their FDRs is expensive. To identify one FDR with LS, 35 tumor samples of CRC index cases have to be analyzed by IHC, and 3 germline tests have to be performed. This emphasizes the costs of IHC testing being an important driver for the cost-effectiveness of LS testing and subsequent colonoscopy surveillance, which we also observed in our sensitivity analyses. The additional costs of offering a LS case biennial CRC surveillance were $4,585 compared to 10-yearly-colonoscopy. As LS cases are at very high risk of developing CRC, substantial downstream cost savings in CRC treatment ($11,467) occur by preventing CRC cases and by diagnosing CRC cases in an earlier stage. Overall, LS testing in CRC patients below age 70 and subsequent biennial colonoscopy surveillance requires an upfront investment, that is largely offset by future savings in CRC treatment.

A recent study compared CRC incidence in LS cases between three countries with different colonoscopy surveillance policies (1-, 2- and 3-year intervals), and found no difference in cumulative CRC incidence among countries.21 As we found only minor differences in the number of CRC cases (244–228 CRC cases per 1,000 LS cases), those results are consistent with our findings. Nevertheless, as the additional costs are also small, our results demonstrate that surveillance every two years rather than every three years is worthwhile, while surveillance every year is not.

Our study has some limitations. First, we did not include any strategies in which we evaluated other methods for LS testing. Other studies have compared different strategies for LS testing and determined that screening with IHC is the most cost-effective strategy.12, 2225 Second, not all steps in the patient flow diagram could be based on Canadian data. We varied all estimates in our sensitivity analyses and demonstrated that they did not influence our recommendation of offering biennial colonoscopy surveillance to LS cases. Third, the CRC risk for LS cases is uncertain; estimates vary greatly among studies.27 We calibrated our model to the largest study that accounted for ascertainment bias.3, 26 Fourth, we did not evaluate gene-specific colonoscopy surveillance due to its high uncertainty in CRC risk and natural history. To address limitation three and four, we performed sensitivity analyses with a 30% and 60% CRC risk at age 80, which revealed that more intense colonoscopy surveillance might be optimal for LS cases with high-risk mutations, which should therefore be further explored in future studies. Fifth, the natural history of CRC in LS is uncertain. We covered this uncertainty by evaluating five different progression assumptions. Only if we assumed that the progression of adenomas in LS is 20x faster than the progression in the general population, the ICER of annual surveillance was below the willingness-to-pay threshold, being $93,835 per LYG compared to biennial surveillance. Sixth, the assumptions regarding the costs for LS testing used in our study are not reflective for settings where genetic testing is performed using multiple-gene panels. Furthermore, we did not take into account that patients with Stage II CRC with adverse features may undergo IHC testing to guide chemotherapy. Lower costs for LS testing would make programmatic testing for LS even more cost-effective, and it would not influence the optimal surveillance interval. Seventh, we used LY G rather than quality-adjusted life years gained. An important determinant of the quality-of-life of LS cases is the distress LS patients experience from knowing they have LS. To our knowledge, no data is available that quantifies this disutility, which is why we could not incorporate it in our analyses. Lastly, we did not consider other LS-related cancers, such as the increased risk for endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer; we assumed that apart from an increased CRC risk, LS cases have a normal life-expectancy. This potentially resulted in an overestimation of life-years gained per CRC death prevented. However, an asymptomatic individual identified with LS has the additional benefit of potential earlier detection or prevention of other cancer types and this additional benefit is also not captured in the current analysis.

Despite these limitations, our study may be of great value to policy makers and fellow researchers. To our knowledge, it is the first cost-effectiveness analysis that evaluates different colonoscopy surveillance intervals in LS cases identified by IHC testing. The optimal colonoscopy surveillance interval for LS cases is a topic of intense debate,21 and therefore this study provides insights that can be used to inform surveillance guidelines internationally .In line with previous studies, LS testing with more intensive colonoscopy surveillance was very cost-effective compared to usual care.2225 However, we revealed that biennial colonoscopy surveillance was cost-saving compared to triennial surveillance, and that annual colonoscopy was not cost-effective compared to biennial colonoscopy. Another major strength of our study is that both the costs to identify LS in CRC cases and the subsequent costs of cascade testing and colonoscopy surveillance of at-risk relatives were included in our analyses. Furthermore, we used a well-established microsimulation model that has been used to inform CRC screening guidelines in several countries, among which the United States.27, 28 This is also the first study to evaluate universal LS testing in CRC index cases (in this case limited to patients <70) and subsequent cascade screening and colonoscopy surveillance in at-risk relatives for the Canadian setting. Important barriers that have been identified for implementation of a population-based program for Lynch syndrome screening in Canada are the education of stakeholders and concerns regarding to sustaining various resources.11 The results of this study provide data that is essential to overcome these barriers. For other countries with universal LS screening, the results of this study can be used to optimize existing programs, as it provides insight in which elements of the patient flow diagram are important drivers for the (cost-)effectiveness LS screening.

In conclusion, we estimated that programmatic IHC testing for LS in patients with CRC diagnosed < 70 years followed by cascade testing and subsequent biennial colonoscopy surveillance of identified FDRs is very cost-effective in Canada. These findings should urge policy makers to further explore the possibilities of implementing universal LS testing.

Need to Know.

Background:

We evaluated the costs and benefits of testing for Lynch syndrome in patients younger than 70 years with colorectal cancer (CRC), and first-degree relatives of those found to have Lynch syndrome. We then investigated the optimal surveillance interval for these patients with Lynch syndrome.

Findings:

Immunohistochemical testing for Lynch syndrome in persons younger than 70 years who have received a diagnosis of CRC, followed by testing of first-degree relatives of those found to have Lynch syndrome, with surveillance colonoscopy every 2 years, reduces risk of cancer at a reasonable cost.

Implications for patient care:

Patients who receive a diagnosis of colorectal cancer at an age of 70 years or younger should be tested for Lynch syndrome; first-degree relatives of those found to have Lynch syndrome who are also found to have Lynch syndrome should undergo colonoscopy examination every 2 years.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank dr. Steven Gallinger for his help in establishing the patient flow diagram.

Grant Support

This study was supported by Exactis Innovation, a Canadian not-for-profit Corporation and the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI). This work benefited from a grant from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, through the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (U01-CA199335). The content is the sole responsibility of the investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of Exactis Innovation or the National Institutes of Health. Neither organization had involvement in the study design; in the collection, analysis or interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication.

Abbreviations

CRC

Colorectal Cancer

FDR

First-degree Relative

ICER

incremental cost-effectiveness ratio

IHC

Immunohistochemistry

LS

Lynch Syndrome

LYG

Life-years Gained

Appendix

Appendix Figure 1.

Appendix Figure 1.

Cumulative CRC risk assumed by MISCAN-Colon was calibrated to Bonadona et al.1

CRC = Colorectal cancer

Appendix Figure 2.

Appendix Figure 2.

Results of the one-way sensitivity analyses: Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ($) of LS testing and subsequent biennial colonoscopy surveillance in FDRs with LS under alternative model assumptions. Ratios plotted are compared to the previous efficient strategy.

LS= Lynch syndrome, FDR= First-degree relative, CRC = Colorectal cancer

Appendix Table 1.

Assumptions regarding the participation of CRC Index cases and their FDRs in every step of the patient flow diagram, and the positivity rates of the genetic tests.

Parameter Value (Rangea) Source
LS Testing of Index CRC Cases
Combined proportion of possible LS cases 4.5% (2.25–6.75%) Ontario Estimateb
 Proportion of index CRC cases with an MLH1 deficiency, subsequently tested for BRAF V600E 13.3%
 Proportion of MLH1 deficient BRAF wildtype tumors without MLH1 promoter hypermethylation 64%
 Proportion of MLH1 deficient BRAF wildtype tumors without MLH1 promoter hypermethylation, referred to genetic counseling 33%
 Proportion of index CRC cases with an MSH2/6 or PMS2 deficiency, subsequently referred to genetic counseling 1.7%
Index Case Genetic Pathway
Proportion of patients accepting genetic counseling 84% (42-100%) 2
Proportion of patients that once seen by genetic counselor will undergo genetic testing 80% (40-100%) 3,4
Proportion of patients undergoing genetic testing that are positive for LS 67% (33-100%) 58
FDRs LS cases
Average number of FDRs of identified LS case 5.96 (2.98-8.94) 9
Proportion of FDRs that accept genetic counseling 52% (26-78%) 10
Proportion of FDRs that once seen by genetic counselor will undergo genetic testing 95% (47.5-100%) 10
Proportion of FDRs testing positive on a germline test 50% (25-75%) 11
Colonoscopy participation c
Colonoscopy screening participation not diagnosed with LS 60% (40-80%)d 12
Colonoscopy surveillance participation diagnosed with LS 80% (70-90%)d 10,1315

CRC=Colorectal cancer, FDR=first-degree relative, LS= Lynch Syndrome

a.

Alternative values evaluated in sensitivity analyses. Ranges evaluated were mean*0.5 –mean*1.5.

b.

Estimates were based on experience at the Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario

c.

In the Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis, the participation when not being diagnosed with LS was never lower than the participation when being diagnosed with LS, using preference ordering.16

d.

As we are more certain of these estimated, smaller ranges were evaluated.

Appendix Table 2.

Natural History adjustments for the Lynch Syndrome population.

Parameter Value (Rangea) Source
Probability of having developed colorectal cancer before age 80 42% (30-60%) 1
Dwelling times, faster progression compared to the general population 10x (0x/2x/5x/20x)b Assumption
Hazard Ratio overall survival of CRC in LS cases versus CRC in the general population 0.65 (0.59-0.71) 17

CRC= Colorectal cancer, LS= Lynch Syndrome

a.

Alternative values evaluated in sensitivity analyses.

b.

In the Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis, 0x, 2x, 5x, 10x and 20x faster dwelling times were evenly incorporated.

Appendix Table 3.

Assumptions regarding costs. All costs are in 2018 Canadian Dollars.

Procedure Costs (Rangea) Sourceb
Related to genetic testing
Combined costs of lab testing in index CRC case 224 (112-336) Ontario Estimate
 IHC MLH1, MSH2/6, PMS2 150
BRAF V600E mutation 300
 Methylation of MLH1 promoter 400
Cost of patient navigator per individual referred to genetic counseling 108 (54-162) Ontario Estimatec
Costs of pre-test genetic counseling in CRC index case 255 (128-383) Ontario Estimated
Avg. cost of germline test in index CRC case 1,099 (549-1,648) Ontario Estimatee
MSH2/6, PMS2 1,200
MLH1 1,040
Post-test genetic counseling and tracing FDRs for LS positive cases & Costs of pre-test genetic counseling of FDRs (per index CRC case with LS) & Post-test genetic counseling FDR 90 (45-135) Ontario Estimatef
Somatic testing for LS negative cases 500 (250-750) Ontario Estimate
Costs of germline testing for LS in a FDR with a known mutation 400 (200-600) Ontario Estimate
Related to colonoscopiesg
Colonoscopy without polypectomy 947 (474-1,421) 18
Colonoscopy with polypectomy & Colonoscopy for diagnosis of CRC by symptoms 1,192 (596-1,788) 18

CRC careh

Females (50.7%)i Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV
Initial 29,240 (14,620-58,481) 42,537 (21,269-85,074) 63,432 (31,746-126,865) 80,855 (40,427-161,709)
Continuing 7,664 (3,832-15,328) 10,155 (5,077-20,310) 13,269 (6,635-26,539) 40,423 (20,212-80,846)
Terminal, death CRC 324,973 (162,487-649,947) 236,714 (118,357-473,429) 144,521 (72,260-289,041) 131,414 (65,707-262,828)
Terminal, death OC 31,064 (15,532-62,129) 29,295 (14,647-58,590) 30,743 (15,371-61,486) 28,703 (14,351-57,405)
Males (49.3%)i Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV
Initial 33,131 (16,565-66,261) 50,829 (25,414-101,658) 70,868 (35,434-141,736) 90,642 (45,321-181.285)
Continuing 8,386 (4,193-16,773) 12,292 (6,146-16,773) 15,442 (7,721-30,884) 50,015 (25,008-100,030)
Terminal, death CRC 329,770 (164,885-659,539) 207,153 (103,577-414,307) 147,150 (73,575-294,299) 124,025 (62,013-248,050)
Terminal, death OC 33,210 (16,605-66,420) 49,954 (24,977-99.909) 36,949 (18,747-73,898) 34,412 (17,206-68,825)

CRC= Colorectal cancer, LS= Lynch syndrome, FDR=first-degree relative, OC= other causes.

a.

Alternative values evaluated in sensitivity analyses. Ranges evaluated were mean*0.5 –mean*1.5.

b.

Ontario Estimate: costs are based on experience at the Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario

c.

Annual salary of a navigator ($70,000) was divided by the estimated number of cases per year (650).

d.

Includes 1 hour Salary for Genetic Counseler ($90) and Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Fee Schedule code A225 ($165).

e.

62% of individuals were tested for MLH1.

f.

Includes 1 hour Salary for Genetic Counseler ($90).

g.

Costs of colonoscopy were obtained from the 2013 Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Schedule of Benefits and Fees,18 and updated to 2018 Canadian dollars using the consumer price index (CPI; All-items).19 These were varied together in the one-way sensitivity analysis.

h.

CRC care was divided in three clinically relevant phases. The initial care phase was defined as the first 12 months after diagnosis, the terminal care phase as the final 12 months of life, and the continuing care phase as all months in between. For patients surviving less than 24 months, the last 12 months were allocated to the terminal care phase and the remaining months were allocated to the initial care phase.

The costs attributable to CRC care by sex, CRC stage, and phase of care (initial, continuing, and terminal care) included outpatient visits, hospitalizations, treatment, home care, long-term care, and rehabilitation. The costs were estimated using health care administrative data in a matched cohort study, which compared the health care costs of CRC patients with their age- and sex-matched controls,38 and updated to 2018 Canadian dollars using the CPI.19

i.

Based on the 2015 Ontario Population, accounting for the age distribution of the FDRs.

Appendix Table 4.

Colonoscopy test characteristics

Sensitivity
 Adenoma 1-5 mm 75%
 Adenoma 6-9 mm 85%
 Adenoma 10+ mm 95%
 Colorectal Cancer 95%
Specificity 86%a
Reach (until cecum) 95%
Fatal complication riskb 1/14,000
a.

The lack of specificity with endoscopy reflects the detection of non-adenomatous lesions, where the non-adenomatous lesions are removed and therefore induce polypectomy and biopsy.

b.

The fatal complication risk was only included for colonoscopies with polypectomy, and was based on Rabeneck et al. 20

Appendix Table 5.

Number of individuals and associated costs per 1000 CRC index cases in every step of the patient flow diagram.

Step in patient flow diagram No. of individuals Costs ($)a
LS testing of index CRC cases
Immunohistochemistry MLH1, MSH2/6, PMS2 1000 150,000
BRAF V600E mutation 133 39,900
Methylation MLH1 promoter 85 34,000

Total 223,900
Index Case Genetic Pathway
Patient navigator 45 4,848
Pre-germline testing counseling 38 9,639
Germline testing 30 33,234
Positive cases: post-germline testing counseling 20 1,796
Negative cases: somatic testing 10 5,141

Total 54,658
First-Degree Relatives Pathway
FDRs of LS positive CRC index cases 119
Pre-germline testing counseling 62 5,567
Germline testing 59 23,505
Post-germline testing counseling 29 2,644

Total 31,716
Total 310,274

CRC=Colorectal cancer, FDR= First-degree relatives, LS= Lynch syndrome

a.

Costs are in 2018 Canadian Dollars.

Appendix Table 6.

Results of one-way sensitivity analyses per 1,000 LS positive first-degree relatives of CRC index cases.

Usual Care is 5-yearly Colonoscopy

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsa,b (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 5-yearly colonoscopy 293 105 1.514 61.690 63.204 362 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 4.237 53.048 67.747 722 12,617 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 5.669 51.441 67.573 741 11,516 11,516
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 9.932 49.743 70.138 753 17,728 218,647

No interval extensions for ages 60-80

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsa,b (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 229 63 10.462 4.798 51.845 67.105 739 7,672 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 207 59 10.462 6.970 49.078 66.510 772 5,741 5,741
 1-yearly colonoscopy 176 55 10.462 13.557 45.493 69.513 802 11,785 100,826

No decreased dwelling time

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 354 157 0.221 64.196 64.417 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 245 93 1.380 55.624 57.005 363 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 150 50 10.462 4.613 43.341 58.417 727 3,880 3,880
 2-yearly colonoscopy 140 49 10.462 6.131 41.932 58.525 742 4,010 7,111
 1-yearly colonoscopy 131 48 10.462 10.483 40.627 61.572 753 11,716 284,648

Halved dwelling time

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 363 166 0.229 67.431 67.66 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 271 102 1.275 59.987 61.262 371 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 179 57 10.462 4.500 47.678 62.639 766 3,486 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 167 55 10.462 5.995 45.926 62.383 785 2,705 2,705
 1-yearly colonoscopy 155 54 10.462 10.306 44.151 64.919 800 8,529 176,255

5x faster dwelling time

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 362 166 0.228 67.227 67.455 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 293 108 1.155 61.431 62.586 353 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 215 63 10.462 4.349 50.331 65.143 747 6,491 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 205 61 10.462 5.809 48.627 64.898 766 5,599 5,599
 1-yearly colonoscopy 196 61 10.462 10.098 46.972 67.532 778 11,621 208,305

20x faster dwelling time

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 364 167 0.229 67.428 67.657 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 335 118 1.047 65.172 66.219 305 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 287 74 10.462 4.157 56.789 71.408 694 13,348 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 279 73 10.462 5.572 54.881 70.915 719 11,345 11,345
 1-yearly colonoscopy 268 73 10.462 9.809 52.444 72.716 739 15,000 93,835

Lower Cumulative Incidence (30% at age 80)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 255 117 0.161 47.555 47.715 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 218 79 1.046 44.488 45.534 233 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 172 48 10.462 4.284 37.525 52.271 509 24,387 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 166 47 10.462 5.718 36.380 52.560 523 24,227 24,227
 1-yearly colonoscopy 161 47 10.462 10.010 35.183 55.655 531 33,911 366,988

Higher Cumulative Incidence (60% at age 80)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 510 240 0.327 99.024 99.352 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 444 163 1.121 93.110 94.231 494 - D
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 356 99 10.462 4.135 78.906 93.503 1072 Cost-Saving D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 344 97 10.462 5.562 76.476 92.501 1100 Cost-Saving Cost-Saving
 1-yearly colonoscopy 333 98 10.462 9.768 73.953 94.183 1118 Cost-Saving 95,197

Lower Hazard Ratio Overall Survival (0.59)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 158 0.227 69.302 69.529 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 106 1.082 64.677 65.758 321 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 243 64 10.462 4.228 54.406 69.096 692 9,009 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 63 10.462 5.657 52.778 68.898 710 8,080 8,080
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 63 10.462 9.910 51.071 71.443 721 14,236 235,800

Higher Hazard Ratio Overall Survival (0.71)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 360 173 0.228 65.423 65.65 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 309 117 1.086 61.341 62.427 344 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 71 10.462 4.246 51.848 66.556 749 10,203 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 236 70 10.462 5.681 50.259 66.402 770 9,345 9,345
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 70 10.462 9.952 48.566 68.980 782 14,958 203,055

LS Testing of Index CRC Cases: Combined proportion of possible LS cases −50%(2.25%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 18.007 4.237 53.048 75.292 722 29,097 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 18.007 5.669 51.441 75.117 741 27,292 27,292
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 18.007 9.932 49.743 77.682 753 32,645 218,647

LS Testing of Index CRC Cases: Combined proportion of possible LS cases +50%(6.75%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 7.948 4.237 53.048 65.233 722 3,194 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 7.948 5.669 51.441 65.058 741 2,615 2,615
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 7.948 9.932 49.743 67.623 753 8,658 218,647

Index Case Genetic Pathway: Proportion of patients accepting genetic counseling −50% (42%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 18.17 4.237 53.048 75.455 722 29,518 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 18.17 5.669 51.441 75.281 741 27,693 27,693
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 18.17 9.932 49.743 77.845 753 33,034 218,647

Index Case Genetic Pathway: Proportion of patients accepting genetic counseling +50% (100%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 9.229 4.237 53.048 66.514 722 6,494 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 9.229 5.669 51.441 66.340 741 5,759 5,759
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 9.229 9.932 49.743 68.905 753 11,714 218,647

Index Case Genetic Pathway: Proportion of patients that once seen by genetic counselor will undergo genetic testing −50% (40%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 18.495 4.237 53.048 75.780 722 30,354 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 18.495 5.669 51.441 75.606 741 28,490 28,490
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 18.495 9.932 49.743 78.170 753 33,809 218,647

Index Case Genetic Pathway: Proportion of patients that once seen by genetic counselor will undergo genetic testing +50% (100%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 8.856 4.237 53.048 66.141 722 5,533 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 8.856 5.669 51.441 65.967 741 4,844 4,844
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 8.856 9.932 49.743 68.531 753 10,824 218,647

Index Case Genetic Pathway: Proportion of patients undergoing genetic testing that are positive for LS −50% (33%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 20.124 4.237 53.048 77.409 722 34,549 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 20.124 5.669 51.441 77.234 741 32,486 32,486
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 20.124 9.932 49.743 79.799 753 37,693 218,647

Index Case Genetic Pathway: Proportion of patients undergoing genetic testing that are positive for LS +50% (100%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 7.242 4.237 53.048 64.527 722 1,377 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 7.242 5.669 51.441 64.353 741 884 884
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 7.242 9.932 49.743 66.917 753 6,975 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Average number of FDRs of identified LS case −50%(2.98)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 19.845 4.237 53.048 77.130 722 33,831 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 19.845 5.669 51.441 76.956 741 31,803 31,803
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 19.845 9.932 49.743 79.521 753 37,029 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Average number of FDRs of identified LS case +50%(8.94)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 7.335 4.237 53.048 64.620 722 1,616 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 7.335 5.669 51.441 64.445 741 1,112 1,112
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 7.335 9.932 49.743 67.010 753 7,197 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Proportion of FDRs that accept genetic counseling −50%(26%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 19.845 4.237 53.048 77.130 722 33,831 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 19.845 5.669 51.441 76.956 741 31,803 31,803
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 19.845 9.932 49.743 79.521 753 37,029 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Proportion of FDRs that accept genetic counseling +50%(78%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 7.335 4.237 53.048 64.620 722 1,616 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 7.335 5.669 51.441 64.445 741 1,112 1,112
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 7.335 9.932 49.743 67.010 753 7,197 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Proportion of FDRs that once seen by genetic counselor will undergo genetic testing −50%(47.5%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 20.035 4.237 53.048 77.320 722 34,319 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 20.035 5.669 51.441 77.145 741 32,268 32,268
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 20.035 9.932 49.743 79.710 753 37,481 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Proportion of FDRs that once seen by genetic counselor will undergo genetic testing +50%(100%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 9.984 4.237 53.048 67.269 722 8,437 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 9.984 5.669 51.441 67.094 741 7,610 7,610
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 9.984 9.932 49.743 69.659 753 13,513 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Proportion of FDRs testing positive on a germline test −50%(25%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 20.835 4.237 53.048 78.120 722 36,379 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 20.835 5.669 51.441 77.945 741 34,230 34,230
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 20.835 9.932 49.743 80.510 753 39,389 218,647

FDRs LS cases: Proportion of FDRs testing positive on a germline test +50%(75%)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 7.005 4.237 53.048 64.290 722 767 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 7.005 5.669 51.441 64.116 741 303 303
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 7.005 9.932 49.743 66.680 753 6,410 218,647

Colonoscopy screening participation not diagnosed with LS = 40%

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 325 130 0.799 64.351 65.150 222 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 4.237 53.048 67.747 722 5,200 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 5.669 51.441 67.573 741 4,671 4,671
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 9.932 49.743 70.138 753 9,401 218,647

Colonoscopy screening participation not diagnosed with LS = 80%

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 291 94 1.370 61.465 62.835 445 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 4.237 53.048 67.747 722 17,727 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 5.669 51.441 67.573 741 15,985 15,985
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 9.932 49.743 70.138 753 23,700 218,647

Colonoscopy surveillance participation diagnosed with LS = 70%

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 258 80 10.462 3.736 54.822 69.020 632 16,866 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 251 79 10.462 4.989 53.416 68.867 649 15,478 15,478
 1-yearly colonoscopy 244 79 10.462 8.719 51.930 71.111 659 21,890 218,647

Colonoscopy surveillance participation diagnosed with LS = 90%

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 229 55 10.462 4.738 51.274 66.475 812 5,188 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 220 54 10.462 6.350 49.467 66.279 834 4,571 4,571
 1-yearly colonoscopy 212 54 10.462 11.145 47.557 69.164 847 10,072 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Combined costs of lab testing in index CRC case −50%($112)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - D
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 6.69 4.237 53.048 63.975 722 Cost-Saving D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 6.69 5.669 51.441 63.801 741 Cost-Saving Cost-Saving
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 6.69 9.932 49.743 66.366 753 5,660 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Combined costs of lab testing in index CRC case +50%($336)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 14.235 4.237 53.048 71.520 722 19,383 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 14.235 5.669 51.441 71.345 741 18,039 18,039
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 14.235 9.932 49.743 73.910 753 23,650 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Cost of patient navigator per individual referred to genetic counseling −50%($54)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.381 4.237 53.048 67.666 722 9,459 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.381 5.669 51.441 67.491 741 8,584 8,584
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.381 9.932 49.743 70.056 753 14,460 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Cost of patient navigator per individual referred to genetic counseling +50%($162)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.544 4.237 53.048 67.829 722 9,880 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.544 5.669 51.441 67.655 741 8,985 8,985
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.544 9.932 49.743 70.219 753 14,849 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Costs of pre-test genetic counseling in CRC index case −50%($128)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.3 4.237 53.048 67.585 722 9,252 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.3 5.669 51.441 67.411 741 8,386 8,386
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.3 9.932 49.743 69.975 753 14,267 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Costs of pre-test genetic counseling in CRC index case +50%($383)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.625 4.237 53.048 67.910 722 10,088 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.625 5.669 51.441 67.735 741 9,183 9,183
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.625 9.932 49.743 70.300 753 15,042 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Avg. cost of germline test in index CRC case −50%($550)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 9.903 4.237 53.048 67.188 722 8,228 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 9.903 5.669 51.441 67.013 741 7,411 7,411
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 9.903 9.932 49.743 69.578 753 13,320 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Avg. cost of germline test in index CRC case +50%($1,649)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 11.022 4.237 53.048 68.307 722 11,111 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 11.022 5.669 51.441 68.133 741 10,158 10,158
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 11.022 9.932 49.743 70.698 753 15,989 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Post-test genetic counseling and tracing FDRs for LS positive cases −50%($45)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.292 4.237 53.048 67.577 722 9,231 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.292 5.669 51.441 67.403 741 8,367 8,367
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.292 9.932 49.743 69.968 753 14,249 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Post-test genetic counseling and tracing FDRs for LS positive cases +50%($135)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.633 4.237 53.048 67.918 722 10,108 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.633 5.669 51.441 67.743 741 9,202 9,202
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.633 9.932 49.743 70.308 753 15,061 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Somatic testing for LS negative cases −50%($250)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.377 4.237 53.048 67.662 722 9,451 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.377 5.669 51.441 67.488 741 8,576 8,576
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.377 9.932 49.743 70.053 753 14,452 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Somatic testing for LS negative cases +50%($750)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.547 4.237 53.048 67.832 722 9,888 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.547 5.669 51.441 67.658 741 8,993 8,993
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.547 9.932 49.743 70.223 753 14,857 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Costs of germline testing for LS in a FDR with a known mutation −50%($200)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.062 4.237 53.048 67.347 722 8,640 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.062 5.669 51.441 67.173 741 7,803 7,803
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.062 9.932 49.743 69.738 753 13,701 218,647

Related to genetic testing: Costs of germline testing for LS in a FDR with a known mutation +50%($600)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 67.237 67.465 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 62.908 63.992 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.862 4.237 53.048 68.147 722 10,700 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.862 5.669 51.441 67.973 741 9,766 9,766
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.862 9.932 49.743 70.538 753 15,609 218,647

Related to Colonoscopies: Costs of colonoscopies −50%($474/$596f)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.114 67.237 67.351 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 0.542 62.908 63.450 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 2.119 53.048 65.629 722 5,610 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 2.835 51.441 64.738 741 3,160 3,160
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 4.966 49.743 65.172 753 4,105 36,951

Related to Colonoscopies: Costs of colonoscopies +50%($1,472/$1,788f)

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.341 67.237 67.578 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.626 62.908 64.534 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 6.356 53.048 69.866 722 13,729 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 8.504 51.441 70.408 741 14,409 28,093
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 14.898 49.743 75.104 753 25,204 400,343

Colorectal cancer care costs −50%

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 33.619 33.846 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 31.454 32.538 334 - Cost-Saving
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 4.237 26.524 41.223 722 22,365 D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 5.669 25.721 41.852 741 22,850 32,610
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 9.932 24.872 45.266 753 30,351 291,020

Colorectal cancer care costs +50%

Strategy CRC Casesa CRC Deathsa Costs LS Testingb,c (million$) Costs CRC screeningb,d (million$) Costs CRC Careb (million$) Total costsab (million$) LYGb (y) ACERb,e ($) ICERb ($)

No LS Testing or CRC Screening 359 165 0.227 100.856 101.083 - - -
No LS testing
 10-yearly colonoscopy 308 112 1.084 94.362 95.446 334 - D
LS Testing
 3-yearly colonoscopy 244 67 10.462 4.237 79.572 94.271 722 Cost-Saving D
 2-yearly colonoscopy 235 66 10.462 5.669 77.162 93.294 741 Cost-Saving Cost-Saving
 1-yearly colonoscopy 228 66 10.462 9.932 74.615 95.010 753 Cost-Saving 146,275

CRC= Colorectal Cancer, LS= Lynch Syndrome, LYG= Life-Years Gained, ACER= Average Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, ICER= Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, D= Dominated.

a

CRC cases and deaths include those from LS diagnosis until death.

b

Costs and life-years gained were discounted at an annual rate of 3%.

c

Include total costs of screening CRC index cases and their FDRs, including LS negative and non-participants.

d

Include costs of CRC screening, diagnosis and surveillance.

e

Compared to no LS screening.

f

Costs used for colonoscopies without polypectomy/with polypectomy.

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Footnotes

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Conflict of Interest

The authors have nothing to disclose.

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