[Epidemiology of cancer in the Netherlands: frequency and prevention]

The Netherlands has a population of approximately 15 million persons. A total number of 55.000 new cancer cases, skin cancer excluded, is registered each year. This incidence figure of approximately 365 per 100.000 population is in accordance with the mean incidence of cancer of all sites of the body in Europe. One out of three men and one out of four women will finally be affected by some form of cancer. Roughly three quarters of the cancer patients are above the age of 60 years. Children form less than one percent of the cancer patient group. Mass screening for cancer seems only feasible in well defined, selected patient groups.