The breast cancer screening program is struggling with capacity problems. The organization is unable to invite all women every two years and that is why State Secretary Blokhuis has decided that there may be a maximum of three years between each screening.
Since 2019, there has been a shortage of laboratory technicians for taking breast images. The corona virus also affects the capacity, the research was halted for weeks in the spring and now fewer people can come by because a distance has to be kept. Capacity is not an equally big problem everywhere in the Netherlands, on average there are now 2.5 years between screenings per woman.
RIVM has advised Blokhuis to temporarily extend that period to three years. Then the capacity can be better distributed across the country. In the meantime, there is room to train additional lab technicians.
Additional deaths
The population screening is intended to quickly detect breast cancer. This prevents hundreds of deaths every year. More time between exams can lead to more deaths.
The RIVM is against One today that capacity problems are expected to cause an additional 57 women to die of breast cancer each year. About 17,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Blokhuis has asked the Health Council how the population screening can be optimized.
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