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Introduction

The incidence of cervical cancer in Belgium is relatively high compared to some other Western European countries. Cervical cancer screening meets the criteria for meaningful screening. There is a multidisciplinary consensus on the collection of cervical smears, the standardization of protocols for cervical smears, and the follow-up of abnormalities found in cervical cytology. The screening test remains, until further notice, the traditional smear.

The following questions are addressed as optimally as possible in this recommendation: at what intervals should the general practitioner screen? From what age should screening start/stop? How can the quality of smears be optimized? And how can the general practitioner better identify and reach non-participants in screening?

Concepts and Definitions

  • Screening
    Screening comes from the English word 'to screen,' which actually means 'to sieve' or 'to sift.' In screening, a population group is tested on the initiative of researchers using simple means. The aim is to isolate a group, to 'sift,' where as many people as possible have the disease being detected. Further diagnostic testing then shows who is and who is not ill.
  • Opportunistic Screening
    In opportunistic screening in general practice, the initiative comes from the individual healthcare provider or patient. When the opportunity arises, a screening test is offered to individual patients within the context of practice. There is usually no external structure responsible for quality improvement and epidemiological monitoring.