What happens if you have abnormal cells after a smear?

Once abnormal cells are identified, your doctor performs a biopsy, taking a small amount of tissue for testing. You'll feel a pinch, nothing more. Then, your cells are off to the lab for analysis. You might experience some mild cramping after colposcopy, but that's it.

What does abnormal cells mean after a smear test?

An abnormal cervical screening test result means that you have changes in the cells covering the neck of your womb (cervix). These changes are not cancer. The cells often go back to normal by themselves. But in some women, if not treated, these changes could develop into cancer in the future.

Should I be worried about abnormal cervical cells?

It is also natural to be concerned as to the severity of the cervical changes and what implications this may have on your health. However, an abnormal smear test result does not mean you have cancer. It simply means that there are changes to the cells which could potentially cause cancer in the future.

Should I be worried about abnormal smear test?

If you have received a letter telling you that your smear was abnormal, you will be understandably anxious and a bit worried. However, an abnormal smear almost always means that a minor problem (pre-cancerous change) has been detected and not anything serious (such as cervical cancer).

How are abnormal cervical cells treated?

It's also known as loop electrosurgical excision (LEEP) or loop diathermy. This is the most common treatment for abnormal cervical cells. Your colposcopist uses a thin wire loop to remove the transformation zone of the cervix.

Abnormal Pap Smear: What Does It Mean?

Should I get a hysterectomy if I have precancerous cells?

If the precancerous disease is more extensive or involves adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), and the woman has completed childbearing, a total hysterectomy may be recommended. 1 During a total hysterectomy, the entire uterus (including the cervix) is removed.

Do abnormal cells go away?

Most of the time, the abnormal cell changes are caused by certain types of human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. Usually these cell changes go away on their own. But certain types of HPV have been linked to cervical cancer.

How common is abnormal smear?

Whilst about 1 in 20 women will have a smear test result which is abnormal, only about 1 in 2000 will have cervical cancer. That means approximately 1% of women with any grade of abnormal smear will have a cancer.

What are the symptoms of abnormal cervical cells?

Symptoms of cervical cancer usually do not appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue. The most common symptom is abnormal bleeding that starts and stops between regular menstrual periods, or that occurs after sexual intercourse, douching, or a pelvic exam.

What are the symptoms of HPV in females?

Can an abnormal Pap smear be nothing?

Most abnormal Pap smear results are nothing to worry about

Most women will have at least one abnormal Pap smear result in their lifetime, with an overall average of 5% of all Pap tests coming back as “abnormal.” In most cases, the abnormal result is nothing to worry about, but it's important to follow up to make sure.

Can HPV make you feel unwell?

HPV usually doesn't make you feel sick or cause any symptoms. Your immune system can fight off the infection before you ever know you have it, but you could still spread it to others before that happens. If you do get symptoms, the most common signs of HPV are genital warts.

What causes abnormal cervical cells besides HPV?

These include yeast infections, HPV, the herpes virus, or many other infections. Abnormal cells. These changes are called cervical dysplasia. The cells are not cancerous but may be precancerous.

Will I always test positive for HPV?

People often never know they have caught it or passed it on. “HPV could've been there for years before it shows up, if it ever does,” says Ramondetta. When talking to your partner about your diagnosis, remember 80% of people will have HPV at some point in their life.

Do you have HPV for life?

Depending on the type of HPV that you have, the virus can linger in your body for years. In most cases, your body can produce antibodies against the virus and clear the virus within one to two years. Most strains of HPV go away permanently without treatment.

What happens if you are HPV positive?

Results from your HPV test will come back as either positive or negative. Positive HPV test. A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that's linked to cervical cancer. It doesn't mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it's a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future.

Can abnormal cervical cells go away on their own?

HPV-caused changes in cervical cells happen slowly and often go away on their own, especially in younger women. more effective screening tests. the harms of overtesting and overtreatment for cervical changes that would have gone away on their own.

Will a hysterectomy cure HPV?

A hysterectomy will not cure the HPV which has caused the CIN, as there is no cure for HPV, but the CIN cannot have spread anywhere else in your body and will only be in your cervix area-it doesn't travel through the bloodstream, and remains where the HPV infection is.

What causes pre cancerous cells in cervix?

Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main risk factor for precancerous changes in the cervix. Smoking and having a weakened immune system increase the chance that an HPV infection will not go away on its own and will develop into a precancerous condition of the cervix.

Can abnormal cells be cancerous?

On occasion you may see a report from a Pap test or tissue biopsy stating "atypical cells present." This might cause you to worry that this means cancer, but atypical cells aren't necessarily cancerous. Many factors can make normal cells appear atypical, including inflammation and infection.

Can I get pregnant with abnormal cells?

Most women can have a normal pregnancy after treatment for abnormal cells but rarely there are problems. You might need treatment to keep future pregnancies safe.

How quickly does HPV cause abnormal cells?

HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.

What happens after a second abnormal Pap smear?

Your next step is usually a minor procedure called a colposcopy. This procedure is a visual examination of the cervix using a low-powered microscope used to find and then biopsy abnormal areas in your cervix that may lead to cervical cancer.

How do you get rid of HPV in your body?

There's no cure for HPV. But most cases of it will go away on their own. If you contract HPV you should still make an appointment with a doctor. They'll be able to treat your symptoms and ask you to come in for repeat testing in a year to see if the HPV infection persists.

Can a yeast infection cause an abnormal Pap smear?

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) , yeast infections can lead to an abnormal Pap smear finding called atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). ASC-US is the most common abnormal Pap smear result.