Hospital Holds Pap Test Clinic

The Women’s Wellness Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Saint John is hosting a free Pap test clinic Thursday.

It is part of a larger campaign by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada to raise awareness about cervical cancer.

Leah Smith, senior manager of surveillance with the Canadian Cancer Society, said screening is an incredibly effective way to help prevent cervical cancer.

“What these tests can do is pick up changes in the cervix that can either lead to cervical cancer or that have become cancerous,” said Smith.

“They [the cells] can be treated if they haven’t yet become cervical cancer to avoid the cancer from ever happening in the first place, or if the cancer has already started to develop, [the test] can detect these cancerous cells early when they can be treated more effectively.”

The Women's Health Centre at Horizon’s St. Joseph's Hospital in SJ will host a free Pap test clinic Thurs, Oct 24. Pap tests save lives. https://t.co/zEVVHS5joP pic.twitter.com/sjiNt45orH

— Horizon Health (@HorizonHealthNB) October 23, 2019

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates about 1,350 Canadian women will be diagnosed this year and about 400 will die.

But Smith said we have seen “incredible progress” when it comes to the survival rate of this type of cancer.

“We’ve seen the cervical cancer death rate drop about 70 per cent since the 1970s,” she said.

Now, Smith said virtually all cervical cancers can be prevented between screening and HPV vaccines and they are working toward eliminating it at a national level.

“Cancer eradication isn’t something we’re often able to do, but with cervical cancer, we now have the tools at our fingertips to make this a reasonable goal,” she said.

Women should get their first Pap test between the ages of 21 and 25 and receive one every one to three years, depending on what their previous screens have shown, Smith said.

Thursday’s clinic runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the 9th floor of the hospital. People are asked to register with their Medicare card in the main lobby.