Geen basis voor verlaging onderste leeftijdsgrens van bevolkingsonderzoek op baarmoederhalskanker

Objective

To determine whether the lower age limit for cervical cancer screening should be reduced.

Design

Retrospective data analysis.

Methods

All cases of invasive cervical cancer cases diagnosed in the period 1989-2003 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Data were also available for 2004 and 2005 for the age group 25-39 years. Data concerning deaths were obtained from Statistics Netherlands. Trends were described with the aid of the estimated annual percentage of change and joinpoint analysis.

Results

In the 25-29-year age group, the number of cervical cancer cases varied between 0 and 9 per year. The incidence of cervical cancer declined in the 35-39- and 45-49-year age groups (p

Conclusion

Incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer among women below the age of 30 are very low and are not increasing. Lowering the screening age for cervical cancer would result in the detection of lesions which would usually have gone into regression. Because the advantages of lowering the screening age would not offset the disadvantages in terms of overtreatment and anxiety, this reduction is, in our opinion, not advisable at the present time.