The diffusion of screening programmes in Italy, years 2011-2012.

In this report, we present the results of cancer screening programmes in Italy for the years 2011-2012. This report is produced by the National centre for screening monitoring (ONS), together with the Italian professional multidisciplinary screening groups: GISMa (Italian group for mammographic screening), GISCor (Italian group for colorectal screening), and GISCi (Italian group for cervical screening). Since 2004, ONS has been monitoring and supporting Italian screening programmes, in accordance with a decree issued by the Ministry of Health. Multidisciplinary groups work with ONS and provide the know-how required to promote the quality of public health programmes. The following is a brief outline of the Italian screening programme setting: screening programmes (cervical, mammographic, colorectal) have been a Basic Healthcare Parameter (livello essenziale di assistenza, LEA) since 2001; guidelines are provided by the Ministry of Health's Department of Prevention in agreement with regional governments; regional governments are responsible for the organization, management, and quality assurance of screening programmes; since 2004, ONS has been responsible for monitoring and promoting screening programmes nationwide; the results of the screening programmes of each region are evaluated annually by the Ministry of Health in terms of coverage and impact.