Background: A cervical cancer screening programme has been operating on a national level since 1995. Women aged 25-69 years who have not had a Pap smear in the previous 3-year period, are recommended by letter to contact a doctor and have a smear taken. The aims of the programme are a more rational use of tests and to decrease the incidence and mortality of the disease.
Material and methods: Trends in incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are studied by data from the national cancer registry, which also collects data on individual smears.
Results: From the period 1990-94 to the period 2000-04 the age-adjusted incidence rate per 1,000, 000 person-years decreased from 127 to 95, the corresponding rate for squamous carcinomas decreased from 102 to 70. The age-adjusted mortality rate decreased from 38 to 25. Number of tests decreased from 542,666 in 1994 to 486 118 in 2004. The proportion of women aged 25-69 years who had a test taken during the last four years, increased from 72.4% in 1995 to 78.3% in 2004.
Interpretation: Implementation of a nationally coordinated cervical cancer screening programme has contributed to a favourable development of the disease (lower incidence and mortality) and a more rational use of tests. Continued efforts are needed to achieve the goals of the programme.