Renewing the Organised Screening Programme For Cervical Cancer in Finland: First Results on Randomised Comparison of Primary Screening with Traditional Pap-Smear and Automation-Assisted Screening

摘要

The role of cytology-based screening in the prevention of cervical cancer is established. Organised mass screening has been especially effective in Finland compared to other organised screening programmes (Hakama 1982, Laara et al. 1987) or to spontaneous screening practised in the same population (Nieminen et al. 1999). The programme was introduced in 1963 and since then the age-standardised mortality from, and the incidence of invasive cervical cancer has decreased by 80% (Hristova et al. 1997, Anttila et al. 1999). Years before the screening started the age-standardised incidence was about 15/1000,000 women and was at its lowest during early 90s (-3.5/100,000 woman-years). Thereafter the trends have not been as favourable as in the past and in 2000 the rate was 4.1/100,000 woman-years.