Cervical cancer screening in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is among the European countries with low incidence and almost lon,est 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. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.