Netherlands sees decline in participation in breast cancer screening program

There has been a decline in breast cancer screening among women in Europe over the past decade. This trend is also visible in the Netherlands, de Volkskrant reported on Monday.

Between 2011 and 2021, the participation rate in breast cancer screenings dropped in 13 of the 20 European countries for which data is available. In the Netherlands, the participation rate fell to 72.7 percent, a significant decrease from the 80 percent participation observed in 2011, placing the country sixth in terms of the participation rate.

Participation in population screenings for cervical and colon cancer has also declined. The lowest point was during the pandemic in 2020, but even in 2022, the number of participants remained below pre-pandemic levels. Participation is lower among individuals with lower income, less education, and/or a migration background. This indicates that these groups are not being effectively reached, the newspaper noted.

In the Netherlands, annually around 20,000 women are referred for further examination after initial preventive breast screening. More than half of these cases result in false alarms. However, the screenings do lead to the detection of about 7,000 breast cancer cases each year.

The Dutch public health institute RIVM stated that early detection through these screenings saves the lives of 850 to 1,075 women annually. Despite these benefits, there are drawbacks: the examination can be painful and might give a false sense of security.

About a quarter of breast cancer cases are not detected through population screening, which underscores the importance of self-examination.