Cervical cancer rates in N.S. higher than national average, at-home HPV test could help reduce the number: doctor

Nova Scotia will introduce at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) test kits to improve access to cervical cancer screening, however the rollout isn’t expected for two years.

Dr. Robert Grimshaw, the medical director of Nova Scotia Health’s cervical cancer prevention program, said HPV is an infection that most people will be exposed to.

“We know that cervical cancer is caused by a virus,” Grimshaw said in an interview with CTV News.

According to Grimshaw, the infection typically goes away on its own, but sometimes it persists in the cervix and causes pre-cancerous cells.

“Right now we look for those pre-cancerous cells with pap-testing,” Grimshaw said. “Every three years for normal risk women from 25 to 70.”

Grimshaw said the new test kits will help identify the cells before they turn cancerous.

“We’re looking for a persistent infection before pre-cancerous cells happen, ” said Grimshaw. “The downside of the HPV test is it’s so good that it picks up a lot of people who don’t have pre-cancer.”

The new tests collect liquid samples that are tested for HPV. If that test is positive, then a pap smear test is performed on the same sample. Grimshaw said pairing the HPV test with the pap smear test eliminates problems with false positives.

The tests are not expected to rollout for two years. Grimshaw said the delayed rollout will allow Nova Scotia Health to adapt procedures in the lab.

Nova Scotia performs approximately 60,000 pap smear tests a year. Grimshaw said the new procedure should reduce that number to between 3,500 and 5,000.

Cervical cancer rates in Nova Scotia are higher than the national average. Grimshaw attributes those numbers to a combination of high rates of smoking in the province and a lack of screening.

“Smoking doubles your risk of getting abnormal cells in the cervix and developing cervical cancer,” Grimshaw said. “It’s not that there’s anything here making women that move to the Maritimes at risk for it.”

Grimshaw said non-smokers who get regular pap smear tests have the same low rates in Nova Scotia as everywhere else. The new HPV tests are intended to help Nova Scotians without primary care physicians who cannot access tests.

The federal government has yet to approve a self-test kit for HPV, however British Columbia is already offering the service.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.