Peer Review History

Original SubmissionSeptember 2, 2019
Decision Letter - Christopher J.D. Wallis, Editor
Transfer Alert

This paper was transferred from another journal. As a result, its full editorial history (including decision letters, peer reviews and author responses) may not be present.

PONE-D-19-24756

Register-based cost-effectiveness analysis of organized prostate-specific antigen screening: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial

PLOS ONE

Dear Mr. Booth,

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Christopher J.D. Wallis, MD, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

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Reviewer #1: No

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: Booth et al. examined cost-effectiveness in terms of overall mortality and prostate cancer mortality among men included in the FinRSPC prostate cancer screening trial. Neither the screening or control arm was overall cost-effective. Organized screening could be considered cost-effective in terms of prostate cancer death by preventing one death per 1000 men screened.

This is a well-written manuscript with appropriate methodology and limitations listed. A few minor recommendations for improving the manuscript:

1) Why was all follow-up truncated at 17 years? The authors state that they did it, but did not provide further rationale.

2) It would be helpful to have a Table (supplementary) or two listing assumptions, costs, etc

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Reviewer #1: No

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Revision 1

Responses to editor comments:

1) We have added the following text to the methods section and in the online submission system:

”The need for consent from the men assigned to the trial was waived by a ruling from THL for the current register-based study (Official decision number: THL/36/5.05.00/2009)”

2) We have amended the Funding and Competing Interests statements in line with your requests and in line with those sent by Vicky Stabler in e-mail correspondence on the 27th of September, as follows:

”The funding organisations did not play a role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript and only provided financial support in the form of authors' salaries and/or research materials. Fimlab Laboratories provided support in the form of a salary for PK, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.”

3) Identifiable individual-level data cannot be shared publicly because of Finnish legislation governing the protection of personal data. The data underlying the results presented in the study can be obtained from the relevant Finnish authorities for researchers who meet the criteria for access to confidential data. We have added text to this effect in the manuscript.

4) Thank you for noticing this omission, we have added: “Figure 1: Enrolment and health-related outcomes.”

Responses to reviewer comments:

5) We thank the reviewer for their constructive comments!

1. In response to the comment about why we analysed truncated data, we have added the following text:

”Truncation of the follow-up at 17 years was undertaken to limit our analysis to only the most robust data, because as age cohorts were selected from the population the on January 1 of each year from 1996 through 1999, analysis without truncation would mean that follow-up beyond 17 years would only be possible for fewer and fewer men each year until the maximum of 20 years of follow-up. Truncation in this study produces more conservative results, with analysis using all available data producing both larger effect sizes and more statistically-significant associations.”.

2. We have implemented the useful suggestion of a table listing the assumptions, costs, etc. which underpin our findings. We have added a table and related supporting text in order to improve the discussion section and facilitate understanding of the results presented in our manuscript.

Decision Letter - Christopher J.D. Wallis, Editor

Register-based cost-effectiveness analysis of organised prostate-specific antigen screening: Evidence from a randomised controlled trial

PONE-D-19-24756R1

Dear Dr. Booth,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it complies with all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you will receive an e-mail containing information on the amendments required prior to publication. When all required modifications have been addressed, you will receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will proceed to our production department and be scheduled for publication.

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With kind regards,

Christopher J.D. Wallis, MD, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Formally Accepted
Acceptance Letter - Christopher J.D. Wallis, Editor

PONE-D-19-24756R1

Cost-effectiveness analysis of prostate-specific-antigen-based mass screening: Evidence from a randomised controlled trial combined with register data

Dear Dr. Booth:

I am pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

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With kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Christopher J.D. Wallis

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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