[The 'freckle bus' campaign; an unhealthy phenomenon or a sensible experiment?].
In the summer of 1989 a screening campaign for skin cancer was organized in four seaside resorts of The Netherlands using a mobile examination room. On 4 consecutive Saturdays 3069 individuals were examined. A total of 65 individuals with a suspected lesion were found. Histological reports were obtained on 46 suspected lesions and 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 clinical examination appeared to be 83%. Much publicity was given to the campaign by the (inter)national media. The effects of this publicity were measured by a questionnaire sent to the general practitioners (856) and dermatologists (25) in the region, of whom 44% and 84%, respectively, responded. It appeared that during and after the campaign there had been an increase in the number of consultations for skin lesions, and an increase in the diagnoses of malignant lesions.
Krol
A D
AD
Integraal Kankercentrum, Leiden.
van der Rhee
H J
HJ
Dieleman
M
M
Welvaart
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008548:Melanosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*
De 'sproetenbus'; een ongezond verschijnsel of een bezonnen experiment?