N.B. to transition to HPV tests to screen for cervical cancer

After decades of using Pap tests to detect early signs of cervical cancer, New Brunswick plans to transition to using HPV tests and will eventually introduce self-sampling. An advisory group is being established and work on the transition, which is expected to take up to six years, will begin this fall. The transition is expected to take up to six years. The initiative aligns with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer action plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. HPV testing identifies cervical pre-cancer earlier, resulting in a significantly lower likelihood of cervical cancer compared with Pap test screening. P.E.I. made the switch in May, making it one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to do so.