B.C. launches home-based cervical cancer testing program
Diagnostics will be more accessible than ever.
British Columbia is phasing out the pap test for cancer screening in favor of kits that patients can receive by mail. Authorities cite studies showing that such HPV tests are more effective at detecting precancerous lesions than the familiar pap test.
Prime Minister David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix said this is the first home self-examination program in all of Canada and follows a global trend in health care delivery.
"B.C. has been a world leader in cervical cancer prevention for almost 70 years and we’re at the forefront again as the first Canadian province or territory to offer cervix self-screening at home provincewide," commented Dix.
Starting on January 29, 2024, the kits will be available to all B.C. women 25 to 69 years of age — online or by phone. The finished test can be mailed or brought in person to a health care provider for testing. Results are guaranteed within four to six weeks, with no mandatory doctor consultation required, and the results will go into the medical record in case follow-up is needed.
This is an expansion of a pilot program launched back in 2021, under which residents of certain cities could receive such kits.
Provincial officials say introducing the practice province-wide will mean less frequent testing — about every five years — and it will simultaneously increase both the availability and accuracy of screening.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. The incidence of cervical cancer among women in Canada is one of the fastest growing, but it is preventable through immunization and screening programs. 99% of cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV — there are 15 types in total.
Completing the transition to the HPV test as the primary screening test for cervical cancer is part of BC Cancer Care's 10-year action plan to better prevent, detect and treat cancer.
