Population-based mass screenings are a crucial part of cancer control in Finland. Three national cancer screenings are carried out in Finland:
- screening for cervical cancer
- screening for breast cancer
- screening for colorectal cancer
Moreover, Finnish Cancer Registry participates in the European trial on prostate cancer screening.
Mass Screening Registry, which is part of the Finnish Cancer Registry, maintains a database on the screenings. It also evaluates present programmes and the quality of cancer screenings.
Screening for Cervical Cancer
At the initiative of the Cancer Society of Finland, screenings preventing cervical cancer were started in the 1963. Today, about 180 000 women between the ages 30 and 60 are screened annually. The screening interval is five years.
Over the years, these free-of-charge screenings have dramatically reduced the incidence of the disease. It is now the 16th most common form of cancer among women in Finland. Cases of cancer have fallen from the initial level of 400 to about 170 a year.
Screening for Breast Cancer
National breast cancer screenings (mammographs) begun in 1987 have also been carried out at the municipal level at the instigation of the public health statute. Screenings are done once every two years and are free of charge. Some 90% of women between 50-59 years old receive breast cancer screenings. This has led to increasing survival rates for breast cancer patients.
