In response to overwhelming demand - and a glaring gap in care in London - St. Joseph’s innovative Pop-up Pap Test Clinic will be held for the second time on May 10.
London, Ontario - Overflowing attendance at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s innovative Pop-up Pap Test Clinic signaled success, yet also revealed a crucial gap in care in London. So, the clinic is popping up again.
“It’s clear there is a tremendous need in our community for accessible cervical screening and it’s imperative we respond,” says Dr. Robert Di Cecco, Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Colposcopy Clinic.
St. Joseph’s initially offered the Pop-up Pap Test Clinic in January, which attracted a staggering 103 people who began lining up even before the doors opened. The response surpassed all expectations. Most of those who turned out did not have a family doctor and were overdue for the screening – some as long as 15 years. For five individuals (five per cent), the pap test results were abnormal and they are receiving follow-up care.
The high demand, along with inquiries from people who couldn’t attend, has inspired Dr. Di Cecco and his team, in collaboration with the South West Regional Cancer Program (SWRCP), to host a second clinic on May 10. It comes as new data from the Ontario College of Family Physicians estimates there are currently 84,000 residents in the London region who do not have a family doctor – a number expected to balloon to 163,077 by 2026.
“While we’re pleased with the success of our clinic, its popularity is also an unsettling indication of the lack of access to family physicians and primary care, which means people are missing out on important screening in London,” says Dr. Di Cecco, who is also Regional Lead for Cervical Screening for the SWRCP. “The turnout also told us that there is a great desire by people to look after their health.”
A pap test, also called a pap smear, is an exam used to look for changes in cervical cells that may develop into cancer later. Cells are taken from the surface of the cervix and sent to a lab to be examined under a microscope. The exam is recommended every three years.
“What makes cervical screening different from other types of cancer screening is that we’re not, for the most part, finding cancer and then playing catch-up,” explains Dr. Di Cecco. “We’re finding abnormal cells we can prevent from becoming cancer, which is truly remarkable.”
The Colposcopy Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital provides specialized cervical screening and care to those with abnormal pap results and normally requires a referral from a health care provider. But during the one-day Pop-Up Pap Test Clinic on May 10, the doors are open for routine screening to anyone age 25 and older who has not had a pap test in the past three years – no referral or appointment is necessary.
Paige Wall, 31, was among those who came out to the first clinic in January. The mother of three had not had a pap test for 10 years and has not been able to find a family doctor since hers retired last year.
“Yes, it may be uncomfortable and awkward and weird to get a pap test, but it takes two minutes and I’d rather find out there’s a problem early than die of a cancer that could have been prevented,” says Paige. “I was so grateful and relieved to be screened at St. Joseph’s.”
Media Contact:
Dahlia Reich
Communication Consultant
St. Joseph’s Health Care London
519 646-6100 ext 65294
dahlia.reich@sjhc.london.on.ca