Cancer screening saves thousands of lives, cuts healthcare bill

National screening programmes for cervical, breast and bowel cancer save thousands of lives each year in the Netherlands and reduce long-term healthcare costs by €216 million, broadcaster NOS said on Tuesday, quoting research by Erasmus university’s teaching hospital.

The study, published last month, was the first to use detailed data from health insurers, giving researchers a clearer picture of the long-term medical care cancer patients require beyond treatment, the broadcaster said.

These include additional visits to physiotherapists, psychologists or GPs compared to people without cancer, said research leader and Erasmus MC professor Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar.

“This data allows us to see more precisely how much extra care people with cancer need in the years after diagnosis,” she said.

With the enhanced data, researchers were able to create more reliable models to estimate how many lives are saved and how much money is saved through early detection.

For every 100,000 people, screening is estimated to prevent bowel cancer in 1,325 cases by identifying the disease in a precancerous stage. Cervical cancer, mainly in unvaccinated women, is prevented in 800 cases per 100,000.

In the case of breast cancer, the disease cannot be caught at a precancerous stage, but early detection through screening can still prevent deaths. Researchers estimate that 1,255 lives are saved per 100,000 people screened by identifying tumours early enough for treatment.

Although the screening programmes carry significant upfront costs, the long-term savings in healthcare more than make up for the investment, the researchers said.

After accounting for both costs and savings, the programmes generate a net benefit to society of around €60 million per year.