Cervical cancer screening in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is among the European countries with low incidence and almo st lon,est mortality from cancer of the uterine cervix. Screening started a round 1970, being a combination of local and regional invitational programm es and opportunistic screening. In 1996 screening activities have been stru ctured to a new national and nationwide programme. The restructuring concer ned the management and financing of the programme, organisation, target age -ranges and interval, follow-up of abnormal test results, and evaluation. A t the moment short-term results of implementation of the new screening prog ramme are becoming available. It will take many more years before long-term effects of the new programme will emerge. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. A ll rights reserved.