HPV Self-Sampling for Cervical Cancer Screening in Under-Screened Saskatchewan Populations: A Pilot Study

Sep 21, 2026

Cervical cancer incidence in Canada continues to rise, with Saskatchewan showing particularly low screening participation and substantial inequities among underserved groups. This pilot study evaluated whether HPV self-sampling could improve screening uptake in both urban and rural settings across Saskatchewan, using 250 mailed self-swabbing kits and 250 hand-distributed kits in six clinics. Eligibility focused on residents aged 30–69 with a cervix and no screening record for four years. Returned samples were tested for specific HPV strains using the Roche Cobas 4800 system. Overall response was ~16%, with handouts yielding about twice the mailout response, while HPV positivity did not differ across distribution groups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and screening participation in Saskatchewan

Methods

Study design and participant eligibility

Sample analysis

Results

Response rate and HPV positivity

Discussion

Interpretation and implications for improving screening

Article HPV Self-Sampling for Cervical Cancer Screening in Under-Screened Saskatchewan Populations: A Pilot Study Erin Vink 1, Gabriella Antaya 1, Camille Hamula 2, Carla Holinaty 3, Jessica Minion 2, Gregory R. Pond 4, Sabryna McCrea 1, Lynn Dwernychuk 5, Holly Graham 6, Gordon Broderick 7, Mary Kinloch 2 and Jennifer Brown Broderick 8, * Citation: Vink, E.; Antaya, G.; Hamula, C.; Holinaty, C.; Minion, J.; Pond, G.R.; McCrea, S.; Dwernychuk, L.; Graham, H.; Broderick, G.; et al. HPV Self-Sampling for Cervical Cancer Screening in Under-Screened Saskatchewan Populations: A Pilot Study. Curr. Oncol. 2024, 31, 4261–4269. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)curroncol31080317 Received: 2 June 2024 Revised: 17 July 2024 Accepted: 23 July 2024 Published: 26 July 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada; [ywp941@usask.ca](ywp941@usask.ca) (E.V.); [gabby.antaya@usask.ca](gabby.antaya@usask.ca) (G.A.); [srm717@usask.ca](srm717@usask.ca) (S.M.) 2 Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, College of Medicine University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W8, Canada; camille.hamula@saskhealthauthority.ca (C.H.); jessica.minion@saskhealthauthority.ca (J.M.); [mary.kinloch@saskhealthauthority.ca](mary.kinloch@saskhealthauthority.ca) (M.K.) 3 Department of Academic Family Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3Y5, Canada; carla.holinaty@usask.ca 4 Department of Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8V 5C2, Canada; [gpond@mcmaster.ca](gpond@mcmaster.ca) 5 Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Saskatoon, SK S7N 4H4, Canada; lynn.dwernychuk@saskcancer.ca 6 Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7K 2Z4, Canada; [holly.graham@usask.ca](holly.graham@usask.ca) 7 Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3, Canada; [gordon.broderick@usask.ca](gordon.broderick@usask.ca) 8 Department of Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 4H4, Canada * [Correspondence: jennifer.brownbroderick@usask.ca](Correspondence: jennifer.brownbroderick@usask.ca) Abstract: Of all cancers in female Canadians, the most rapidly increasing incidence is that of cervical cancer. The objective of this pilot study was to assess how HPV self-sampling might improve cervical cancer screening participation in both urban and rural settings in Saskatchewan, one of the most sparsely populated provinces in Canada. Study groups consisted of n = 250 participants to whom self-swabbing kits were mailed with instructions and n = 250 participants to whom kits were handed out in 6 urban and rural clinics. The inclusion criteria selected subjects aged 30–69 years who were Saskatchewan residents for at least 5 years with valid health coverage, had a cervix, and had no record of cervical cancer screening in 4 years. The returned samples were analyzed for specific HPV strains using the Roche Molecular Diagnostics Cobas 4800® System. The overall response rate was~16%, with the response to the handout distribution being roughly double that of the mailout. While HPV positivity did not differ across the distribution groups, participants at a specific inner-city clinic reported significantly higher positivity to at least one HPV strain as compared to any other clinic and all mailouts combined. For this high-risk population, in-person handout of self-sampling kits may bethe most effective means of improving screening. Keywords: HPV; cervical cancer screening; s

FAQs

What is the main goal of the pilot study?

To assess how HPV self-sampling might improve participation in cervical cancer screening in under-screened populations across Saskatchewan’s urban and rural settings.

How were participants assigned to receive self-sampling kits?

The study used 250 mailed self-swabbing kits and 250 kits handed out in six urban and rural clinics.

What testing method was used to analyze returned samples?

Returned samples were analyzed for specific HPV strains using the Roche Molecular Diagnostics Cobas 4800 system.

Sep 21, 2026

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