Walk-In Cervical Cancer Screening Works Well in Canada
Doctors in British Columbia have found an easy way to encourage more women to get screened for cervical cancer: offer Pap tests on a walk-in basis.
After survey results showed more than a third of young adult women were not being routinely tested for cervical cancer, health officials decided to offer screening without requiring an appointment. To test the idea, the BC Cancer Agency offered Pap tests on walk-in basis at 12 medical clinics for one week in May 2008.
The test program expected to attract women who were skipping annual exams because they didn’t have a family physician, but the clinics were surprised to find many patients who had doctors were also attracted to the program because it was easier to fit into their busy schedules. As the project’s organizer said,
“…they used this opportunity because it was convenient or easy, so maybe the convenience of not having to make an appointment was important.”
Dr Dirk Van Niekirk
BC Cancer Agency
The results of the pilot program were so encouraging the Agency has announced plans to expand the program throughout British Columbia in February 2009.
If you’re a patient in the United States who’d like to learn more about cervical cancer and Pap smears, you can visit the American Cancer Society web site.
Source: CBCNews.ca
Related Links: MedlinePlus; National Cervical Cancer Coalition; National Cervical Cancer Public Education Campaign
Related Video: Barbara Lawton’s Cervical Cancer PSA from YouTube
Technorati Tags: early cancer detection; cancer prevention; gynecological cancers; gynecology; HPV; oncology; reproductive cancers; squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix; women’s health
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