Screening for skin cancer in The Netherlands.
In the summer of 1989 a screening campaign for skin cancer was organized along part of the beach in the western region of The Netherlands, using a mobile trailer. On 4 consecutive Saturdays, 3,069 individuals were examined. A total of 65 individuals with a suspected lesion were found and referred to their general practitioner. The compliance with referral was 80%. Histological reports, obtained from 46 suspected lesions, showed: 6 melanomas (all with a thickness less than 1 mm), 2 squamous cell carcinomas, 23 basal cell carcinomas, 5 dysplastic naevi and 10 benign skin lesions. The positive predictive value of the visual examination appeared to be 83%. The campaign attracted much publicity. The effects of this publicity were measured by a questionnaire sent to all general practitioners and dermatologists in the region. It appeared that during the campaign and in the ensuing 2 months there had been an increase in the number of diagnoses of benign skin lesions and a moderate increase in the diagnoses of malignant lesions.
Krol
S
S
Comprehensive Cancer West, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Keijser
L M
LM
van der Rhee
H J
HJ
Welvaart
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008545:Melanoma / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D009426:Netherlands; D010808:Physical Examination; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*