The breast cancer screening programme is offered by the government.
Participation is voluntary and free of charge.
A screening programme is a regular medical examination of healthy people that aims to detect a condition at an early stage. Two important criteria to consider when introducing a screening programme are:
- Early detection should increase the success rate of the treatment.
- The number of people wrongly diagnosed as being sick should be low.
Screening programme and your health
There are health effects associated with participating in a screening programme.
A screening programme helps with the early detection of breast cancer.
If breast cancer is discovered at an early stage, the chances of recovery increase and a milder treatment is possible. In the Netherlands all women between the ages of 50 and 75 are invited to take part in the breast cancer screening programme every 2 years. Participation in the screening programme is strongly recommended.
iGene Passport
iGene offers you an insight into your personal risks of developing conditions and tells you whether participating in a screening programme may be particularly important for you. In addition, an iGene Passport provides you with information on what else you can do to reduce any risks. Here we focus on behaviour that will help you maximise the benefits to your health.
In the publication below you can read more about what iGene can do for you.