Bariatric surgery as a means to decrease mortality in women with type I endometrial cancer — An intriguing option in a population at risk for dying of complications of metabolic syndrome

• Sustained weight loss may improve survival in obese endometrial cancer patients
• Weight loss surgery may be a cost effective way to improve survival in this cohort

ObjectiveTo estimate the cost-effectiveness and utility of a strategy of offering weight loss surgery (WLS) to women with low risk stage I endometrial cancer (EC) and BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2.MethodsA modified Markov state transition model was designed to compare routine care to WLS for women with low risk stage I endometrioid EC, age < 70, with a mean BMI 40. A time horizon of 15 years was used to simulate the overall survival (OS) of 96,232 women treated from 1988–2010 from SEER*Stat data. To simulate the effects of WLS on OS, a hazard ratio (0.76, 95% CI 0.59–0.99) representing the OS improvement achieved from this intervention (derived from a prospective trial) was modeled. We assumed that 90% of women undergoing bariatric procedures would experience a reduction in BMI. We assumed that 5% of women not undergoing WLS would achieve weight loss to a BMI of 35. Costs of treatment for obesity-related chronic diseases and quality of life (QOL)-related utilities were modeled from published reports.ResultsThe mean cost-effectiveness for each strategy was: $69,295 and 8.10 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for routine care versus $100,675 and 9.30 QALYs for WLS. WLS had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $26,080/QALY compared to routine care. At a willingness to pay threshold of $50,000/QALY, WLS was the strategy of choice in 100% of simulations.ConclusionsWLS is a potentially cost-effective intervention in women with low risk, early stage EC, at least in part due to improved quality of life with weight reduction.