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Monitoring the performance of New Zealand's National Cervical Screening Programme through data linkage
Hazel Lewis1, Li-Chia Yeh, Bobby Almendral
1National Screening Unit, Ministry of Health, P O Box 5013, Wellington, New Zealand. hazel_lewis@moh.govt.nz
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|December 8, 2009
Summary
Improving cervical cancer screening coverage is crucial, as 80% of potentially preventable cases involve women not enrolled or irregularly screened in the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP). Further review is needed for cancers in regularly screened women.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Cancer Epidemiology
Background:
- The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) in New Zealand aims to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality.
- Monitoring the effectiveness of screening programs is essential for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the NCSP's case review method.
- To present findings from the initial four years of the NCSP review.
- To compare these findings with the preceding New Zealand Cervical Cancer Audit.
Main Methods:
- Linking cervical cancer diagnoses from the New Zealand Cancer Registry with screening histories from the NCSP Register.
- Utilizing the National Health Index for data linkage.
- Analyzing data for the period 2003-2006.
Main Results:
- Of 438 eligible women diagnosed with cervical cancer (2003-06), 46% were never enrolled in the NCSP, and 31% were screened infrequently.
- 20% of eligible women developed cancer despite regular screening.
- Findings were comparable to the 2000-2002 New Zealand Cervical Cancer Audit.
Conclusions:
- Ongoing data linkage effectively monitors NCSP performance.
- Enhancing NCSP coverage is a priority, as 80% of preventable cancers occurred in under-screened or unscreened women.
- Further investigation is required for cancers arising in regularly screened women to assess interval cancers versus program quality.
