Every year, around 700-800 women in the Netherlands are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Detecting the disease at an early stage significantly increases the chances of cure. Screening tests are carried out in the Netherlands for this purpose.
Dutch women aged 30 to 60 are invited to a screening test (bevolkingsonderzoek: HERE ) to detect pre-cancerous changes or early stages of cervical cancer (baarmoederhalskanker). The invitation is renewed every 5 years, as we read on the website of the National Institute of Health RIVM.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. Women in their 40s and 50s who are not HPV positive in a screening test will not be invited to participate in the study again until 10 years later. Women in their 60s who are HPV positive will be asked to participate in the study again at the age of 65.
Taking part in a smear test is voluntary and free of charge. A woman who has reached the age of eligibility for the test should receive a letter of invitation. She can then make an appointment with her general practitioner (huisarts, family doctor) to have a smear taken. A visit to the doctor for this purpose takes about 10 minutes.
If for some reason a visit to a doctor is not possible or advisable, you can also ask for a special kit to be sent to your home address, which will allow you to take a swab yourself at home. You can order the kit online (you need a DigiD number to log in): HERE.
The swabs are sent to a laboratory. A letter with the results should be sent within four weeks of the test. Possible results are:
– no HPV virus, which is good news, everything is fine and you don’t need to make an appointment for further tests
– presence of HPV virus, but no cellular changes; in this case, the test should be repeated in six months
– presence of HPV virus and cellular changes; in this case, the woman will be referred to a gynaecologist for another test. This result still does not mean that cancer has been detected, but a more thorough gynaecological examination is necessary – we read on the website bevolkingsonderzoeknederland.nl
– sometimes it also happens that there were too few cells or too much blood in the smear, which is why the analysis could not be carried out in the laboratory. In such a situation, after about 6 weeks, you should make another appointment for a smear test.
In 2017, an invitation to participate in this screening study was sent to 818,000 Dutch women. More than half of them (426,000) took advantage of this opportunity, according to the website bevolkingsonderzoeknederland.nl. 9% of them were found to be infected with the HPV virus. Cervical cancer is diagnosed in about 700-800 Dutch women each year.
There are currently three major screening programmes in the Netherlands. In addition to cervical cancer and breast cancer, they also cover colon cancer (this programme is also aimed at men). For more information, visit the website bevolkingsonderzoeknederland.nl (also available in English): HERE.
ATTENTION! Screening tests for early detection of cervical cancer are also being carried out during the coronavirus pandemic – informs the National Institute of Health RIVM.