It might be difficult for you to understand the attitude towards preventive care in the Dutch health system if you come from a country where annual breast exams from the age of 40 are routine. The Dutch health authorities feel after much research that the cost of annual routine exams is much greater than the actual benefit that these preventive exams yield. Therefore yearly breast cancer screening is limited to women between the ages of 50 and 75. However, if you feel uneasy not having regular mammograms, speak to your GP about a referral letter. You can request a referral letter from your doctor for a mammogram at an independent diagnostic clinic to avoid waiting for an appointment at a hospital. If your mammogram is unclear or the clinic feels further investigation is necessary, it will give the results to your GP with the recommendation that you should be referred to a specialist at the hospital for further screening.