Good news is on the way for people at risk of cervical cancer.
The government of British Columbia has announced that the province will be the first in Canada to move from the current screening model for cervical cancer to a test that is much more accurate, more accessible and longer lasting.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province has tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical cancer through cytology (a laboratory test that looks for abnormal cells in swabs taken at a doctor’s office). He explained that he would move on to screening.
The province says the new test is nearly twice as accurate as the current screening in B.C., and BC Cancer data shows the test has a 96 per cent chance of detecting precancerous cells. However, current screening is only 53%.
Moving away from cytology means no longer having to go to a doctor’s office to have a cytology test done (cells are collected and then examined under a microscope in a lab). New tests come in kits by mail. You will have to collect a swab yourself for testing. Then, please return it by mail.
“It’s not every day that a province is able to set an achievable goal of eliminating a deadly cancer, but today’s launch of the first at-home self-screening program means that British Columbia has the ability to eliminate a deadly cervical cancer. “This means there is now a very real possibility of eradicating the disease,” Eby said. .
“From January 29th, women will be able to order a quick, easy and highly accurate test kit to use at home, and a highly trained and caring medical team will support those with confirmed symptoms.” You will be able to access your home network.” Higher risk. This more accurate, comfortable and convenient testing method will encourage more vulnerable populations like women and transgender people to get tested across the state, including in rural and remote communities. By working together, we can eliminate deadly cervical cancer in British Columbia within the next 10 years. ”
The transition to ordering at-home test kits will start with those aged 55 and over, and will be extended to those aged 25 and over over the next three years.
Dr. Gina Ogilve, an HPV researcher and senior public health scientist at the BC Center for Disease Control, said B.C. launched the world’s first cervical cancer screening program using a pap smear test in 1955. “We were able to detect abnormal cells before they become cancerous and detect cervical cancer in its early stages (about 85%), when the chance of survival is highest.”
“Today, we are taking the next giant leap forward with the goal of not only reducing the incidence of cervical cancer, but ultimately eradicating it completely. “It’s a preventable cancer through screening,” Ogrub said.
“High-risk HPV infections that persist over many years can cause changes in cells that can eventually lead to precancerous and even cervical cancer. “Unlike a traditional Pap or Pap test, which looks for the virus that causes these abnormal changes, the HPV test looks for the virus that causes these abnormal changes,” she explained.
General practitioner Dr Kayley Lynch explained that the first person she saw die from cervical cancer had been with her for the past 20 years. “I still dream about the patient at the end of the hallway who didn’t make it in time.”
As a family doctor, Lynch says she often gently reminds her doctors to “do procedures that no one likes” on patients, or “perhaps lashes out at them, or just tells their bosses downright.” . …If I did a great job, they’d say, ‘That wasn’t that bad.’ ”
“This amazing research turns a daunting procedure into a simple at-home test. It will save countless lives,” Lynch said.
According to the state, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. The cancer incidence is “one of the fastest growing among Canadian women, but it is preventable through vaccination and screening programs.” 99 per cent of cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV is. ”
The state says HPV testing is also included in primary screening because it can detect the virus before it causes cancer.
Dix said the new program has an associated cost of about $12 million, including “additional costs,” but he says it’s money well spent considering the benefits.
In a pilot project to transition from screening to HPV testing that began in 2021, 40% of participants chose to collect their own swabs instead of having them collected at a clinic, the state said. . Because of this, the state is optimistic that over time, more and more people will become comfortable with the self-administered aspect of the new test.
For those who don’t have a primary care physician, the state says that if an abnormal test result is found, the test results will be sent to a clinic in the patient’s community who agrees to follow-up. Patients also receive information about the clinic that passed on their results.
