The most advanced strategies to treat and prevent cervical cancer are ineffective if they never reach the patient.

It is an unfortunate reality that hinders cancer prevention efforts worldwide.  Population Scientists – both globally and here in Louisiana - are working to identify and overcome the barriers that prevent women from being screened. January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Louisiana ranks 7th in the U.S. for cervical cancer deaths with 215 new cases each year and more than 70 deaths annually.   The work of population scientists has proven effective in identifying strategies to reach women who are unable or reluctant to undergo cervical cancer screenings.

“Some women are unwilling to undergo screening because they can’t afford to take time off from work or they have fears about the exam. It could also be that there’s no clinic within easy distance,” explained Shalini Kulasingam,  MPH, PhD, associate director of Population Science at the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC). Dr. Kulasingam is also the founding director of Tulane’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine’s newly established Center for Cancer Prevention and Control. “There are more than 70 million women who are at risk of cervical cancer each year who are eligible for screening based on their age. What can we do to better serve this population?”

Dr. Kulasingam credits evidence-based population science for the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a self-collected HPV test that can be done either in the clinic or the home.  Studies have shown that the ease of use and privacy it affords makes the screening much more acceptable to many women, especially those who are underscreened.

Donna Williams, MS, MPH, DrPHm, LCRC faculty member and director of the Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Programs (LCP) at LSU Health - New Orleans, has worked to bring the self-collection test to fruition on a national and state level.  LCP is supporting the rollout in community health centers in over 60 federally qualified health centers throughout the state.  

According to Dr. Williams, the Louisiana Primary Care Association, the umbrella organization for the state’s community health centers is presenting online sessions to support use of the test. Experts like Dr. Williams and Dr. Kulasingam will present on a wide array of topics such as test administration, patient eligibility, and billing.  “It is an opportunity for the health centers to learn about all of the issues involved in transitioning from the stirrups model to this patient-collected model,” Dr. Williams explained.

The self-collection test is a big step forward in overcoming barriers to cervical cancer screening.  “We’re excited that this is going to really open up screening services, particularly in rural areas where they may not have been easily available.” Dr. Williams said.  “This is going to be huge, particularly in underserved areas, and making sure that women get these services.”

For more information on cervical cancer and screening visit the LCP’s cervical cancer website.

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