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“Smear” campaign fights cancer

BY Michele Lawson, STAFF November 12, 2009 05:11

BARRIE - Twenty-seven Barrie women who don’t have local family doctors took part in the first smear campaign against cervical cancer at the RVH Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU) last month.

The second-annual initiative of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) invited doctors to offer their services for a one-day free Pap-test clinic with follow-up services for women without doctors.

“The Pap test is a screening test – not a diagnostic,” says FMTU director Dr. Stewart Murdoch. “It’s such an important test in terms of catching and preventing cervical cancer.”

The now-annual clinic operates as a component of the new residency program that opened this summer and is based in the Royal Court Medical Centre beside Royal Victoria Hospital.

As the program continues more entry-level doctors will be available to participate in the free clinic and provide additional primary health-care to Barrie.

Barrie-resident Diane (who asked that her last name not be used) recalls traveling to her family doctor in Richmond Hill for her annual test two years ago. She was shocked and embarrassed to be told a virus that had caused a wart on her hand two years previously, had made its way to her cervix.

The “pre-cancerous” cells were removed in a minor surgical procedure and subsequent Pap tests
have come back normal.

“If it had not been detected in the Pap test, I would not have known about it. It would have just progressed,” says the 58-year-old. “How it got in that area, I’ll never know, but because of that one small procedure, it prevented disaster.”

An estimated 30,000 area residents are without a family doctor, which means they do not have access to the test and follow-up services. Every year in Canada, as many as 1,500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 400 die of the disease.

“This cancer can be prevented and in most cases, can be cured if treated early,” says Murdoch. “We hope this not only raises awareness about the importance of Pap tests, but also provides a much-needed service to women who do not have a family doctor.”

With 500 tests across the country last year, the 27 tests completed in Barrie this year is impressive, says medical education coordinator Carolyn Brooks.

Because it was the first clinic of its kind in the area, Brooks didn’t know what the demand for services would be and had supervisory doctors standing by to provide additional testing if required.

“Our primary objective was to assist the community and get the word out there,” she explains.

“Another objective was to give our residents experience with this procedure and they were fully booked, so we consider it to be a great success.

She and Murdoch expect the FMTU to take part in the campaign next year, which will likely take place again during Cervical Cancer Awareness Week in October.

Anyone in the community without a doctor can click here for information.

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