Half of Quebec regions offer HPV test to replace Pap test

Half of Quebec’s administrative regions now offer the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test, which will replace the Pap test throughout the province by the end of the year. Montérégie is the most recent region to make the switch.

The HPV test is used to detect cervical cancer. It is more accurate in detecting the presence of the high-risk human papillomavirus, which can lead to precancerous lesions, and if left untreated, cervical cancer.

The HPV test has already replaced the Pap test in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, Chaudière-Appalaches, Lanaudière, Outaouais, Laval, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord regions.

Unlike Pap tests, which are performed every two years, HPV tests are performed every five years in the majority of cases.

Infection with the human papillomavirus is the main cause of cervical cancer. Screening remains the best way to prevent this cancer, which is avoidable when detected at the pre-cancerous stage.

In recent years, cervical cancer has seen an unfortunate increase in the population. The latest Canadian data show that cervical cancer is now the fastest-growing cancer among women.

After declining for three decades, the incidence of cervical cancer rose by 3.7 per cent per year between 2015 and 2019, according to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). This is the first significant increase since 1984.

The CCS estimates that 1,600 Canadian women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in a year, and 400 will die from it.

“We’re continuing to roll out HPV testing throughout Quebec. This meets the government’s vision of doing even more to prevent cervical cancer. By making this test more accessible, we are enabling a greater number of women to benefit from more effective screening, thereby helping to save lives,” said Health Minister Christian Dubé in a press release.

He had announced in 2022 that the HPV test would be implemented as the primary screening test for cervical cancer, following the recommendations of the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS).

Last fall, the Ministry of Health announced that the HPV vaccine is now available free of charge to anyone aged 20 and under. A free period is also available to the entire population, until the remaining doses run out. People wishing to receive the vaccine can book an appointment via the ClicSanté online portal.

Screening and vaccination are effective means of combating cervical cancer.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews