Cervical cancer screening in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is among the European countries with low incidence and almost lowest mortality from cancer of the uterine cervix. Screening started around 1970, being a combination of local and regional invitational programmes and opportunistic screening. In 1996 screening activities have been structured to a new national and nationwide programme. The restructuring concerned the management and financing of the programme, organisation, target age-ranges and interval, follow-up of abnormal test results, and evaluation. At the moment short-term results of implementation of the new screening programme are becoming available. It will take many more years before long-term effects of the new programme will emerge.
van Ballegooijen
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Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vanmarle@mgz.fgg.eur.nl
Hermens
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D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D018579:Patient Selection; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods