Cancer screening programmes

The first nationwide population cancer screening onderzoek (onderzoek ) programme in the Netherlands was introduced in 1990 and aimed at detecting breast cancer in women. Around one million women, 75% of the target group, participate in the programme each year. The target group, women aged 50 till 75, receives an invitation letter every two years. The screening is performed using mammography inside a mobile screening unit. The health gain of this screening programme is estimated at 850 - 1000 prevented deaths annually.

Disease prevention

For the bowel cancer screening programme it is estimated that 2250 deaths because of bowel cancer will be prevented by 2030 on an annual basis. In addition, switching to hrHPV screening and adding the self-sampling device to the cervical cancer screening programme will potentially prevent 100 extra cases of cervical cancer and 35 deaths every year. The most recent participation rates for cancer screening are listed in the table below.

Prenatal and neonatal screening programmes

The first blood tests offered during pregnancy screens for infectious diseases and erythrocyte immunization. It aims to detect hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV humaan immunodeficientievirus (humaan immunodeficientievirus ) infection, in addition to determining the blood groups and presence of antibodies against blood groups. The participation rate for this test has been stable since 2006 and is internationally acknowledged as very high. On average, 99% of pregnant women participate which resulted in 65-95 prevented infections and 69 prevented foetal deaths or brain damage cases in 2016.

NIPT niet-invasieve prenatale test (niet-invasieve prenatale test ) and combined test

For detecting Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s syndrome, expectant parents can choose between two screening onderzoek (onderzoek ) tests, the Non Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) or the combined test. The NIPT was introduced in 2017 and offered in the context of a national scientific study. This test is found to be more accurate in detecting abnormal findings than the combined test. The combined test, NIPT and the twenty-week ultrasound, are provided together with prior counselling.

High participation rates

In addition to pregnancy blood tests, both screenings for newborns (hearing screening and the heel prick) are characterized by a very high participation rate (both >99%). In 2017, 476 children were referred after the heel prick test result, and 181 had the diagnosis confirmed. After the hearing screening, 0.3% of the participating children were referred to an audiologic centre. The early recognition and treatment of hearing impairment in young children can optimally stimulate the development of speech and (spoken) language, therefore hearing impaired and deaf children have better development opportunities.