[Attendance in the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Programme]

A high rate of attendance among women invited to the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Programme (NBCSP) is essential to achieve optimal effect, including reduction in breast cancer mortality. This article describes attendance in the programme by county, period and women’s age at invitation.

All women in the age group 50 – 69 years who are registered in the National Population Register are invited to attend the NBCSP every second year. In the study period 2007 – 2014, 2 142 369 invitations were sent, and 1 600 293 screening examinations were performed for 710 169 women. Use of the data is pursuant to the Cancer Registry Regulations.

Altogether 84 % of the women invited attended at least once in the study period. The average attendance rate per screening round was 75 %. In Rogaland, Nordland and Sogn og Fjordane counties more than 80 % attended, while in Oslo the figure was 62 %. The highest rate of attendance recorded was for women in the age group 62 – 67 years. The attendance in the prior screening round was of influence for reattendance.

The mammography screening programme has a high level of acceptance among women in the target group. Possible reasons for the variation in attendance among the county districts should be identified.