Kein erkennbarer Zusammenhang zwischen dem Niveau der Beteiligung am deutschen Krebsfrüherkennungsprogramm und der Entwicklung der Krebsmortalität der Frauen
Attendance rates of the German cancer screening programme and female cancer mortality rates (cancers of the uterus, breast, and colon-rectum) were calculated by age (5-year groups), region (Federal States) and period (annually; 1975-1982 for attendance rates, 1975-1984 for mortality rates). There was no apparent association of attendance and mortality pattern. This finding may be due to avoidable shortcomings in data collection. Programme effectiveness is unlikely to be demonstrated by more data of the same aggregate type. We have to collect information on screening histories linked to cause of death on a person-to-person basis. The can be done in retrospective case-control-studies or prospectively using records for cancer patients. Provisions for such studies are essential.