The Cervical Cancer Screening Laboratory is transitioning from a conventional cytology collection method to liquid based cytology (LBC) to:
- Increase capacity for reporting Pap test results
- Speed return of conventional cytology Pap test results
All family doctors who do Pap tests will receive an update in the mail about this change. High-volume clinics will be contacted in the coming weeks directly by Hologic trainers (vendor partners) about this technology transition. Training will be rolled out over the next four to six months.
The sampling technique for LBC is the same as for both conventional cytology. It is not expected that patients will perceive any difference during the examination.
It is not necessary to repeat Pap tests with LBC for patients who are waiting for conventional cytology screening results.
Patients experiencing symptoms should be referred directly to colposcopy – no screening test result is required. Screening is for asymptomatic patients.
Patients with clinical concerns that require expedited processing should be marked URGENT on the sample’s outer packaging in addition to writing URGENT on the requisition.
There is no change to how your office will receive results.
You can read more about the details on the transition to liquid-based cytology here.