Screening for cancer of the uterine cervix in Iceland 1965--1978

The trends in the mortality and morbidity from cervical cancer in Iceland for the period 1965--1978 are examined in relation to the screening programme that began in 1964. By 1970 over 80% of the female population under the age of 65 had been screened at least once, and by 1977 over 65% of women under the age of 75 had been screened at least twice. Mortality fell by 60% between 1959--1970 and 1975--1978, with a corresponding fall in the incidence of advanced tumors. The mortality rates among the unscreened population are more than ten-fold greater than among the screened. The greater part of the fall in mortality is attributed to the mass screening programme.