Cervical Cancer..The Pap smear

The pap smear for cervical cancer. Today it is most useful in detecting pre-cancerous changes. They can be treated and this can eliminate the possibility of cancer developing.

The Pap smear can also reveal other information. It can show the presence of infections like herpes simplex (HSV) and the human papilloma virus (HPV) which causes gential warts. Vaginal infections like yeast, trichomonas and bacteria can also be seen. It even gives some information about the hormone status of the woman.

Most women should get a Pap smear once a year. Pap smears should be done more frequently in certain cases:

If you get regular Pap smears, you almost completely eliminate your chance of getting cervical cancer. You might get other information which is important for your health.

Pap Smears: When Yours is Slightly Abnormal

What did my Pap smear show? The Pap smear your family physician recently obtained from your cervix (the lower part of your womb) has shown some slightly abnormal changes. A Pap smear allows your doctor to look at cells from your cervix and see if there are any problems. Your Pap smear showed one or more of the following changes. Ask your doctor which of these changes you have.

ASCUS ASCUS (pronounced "ask-us") stands for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. These changes in the squamous cells of your cervix mean that the cells on your Pap smear were slightly abnormal. ASCUS may be caused by a vaginal infection or an infection with a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus, or wart virus). Your doctor will talk with you about the options of looking at your cervix with a microscope (colposcopy) or repeating your Pap smear every 6 months for 2 years.

AGUS AGUS stands for atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance. These changes in the cells of your cervix mean that these cells were slightly abnormal on your Pap smear. AGUS can occur with infections or with a change in the cells on the surface of your cervix or in the canal of your cervix. Your doctor will tell you how the abnormal results on your Pap smear need to be evaluated. Your doctor may recommend repeat Pap smears or colposcopy.

LSIL LSIL stands for low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. This is a common condition of the cells of the cervix and often occurs when the HPV wart virus is present. These changes in the cervix can be present even if you and your sexual partner are monogamous and have never had visible warts. Changes due to LSIL often get better with time. Your doctor will talk with you about whether you need to have Pap smears every 6 months for 2 years or whether you should have colposcopy.

Inflammation If inflammation is present in the cells on the Pap smear, it means that some white blood cells were seen on your Pap smear. Inflammation of the cervix is very common and usually does not mean there is a problem. If the Pap smear showed that the inflammation is severe, your doctor may want to find the cause, such as an infection. You may also need to have another Pap smear in 6 months to see if the inflammation has gone.

Hyperkeratosis Hyperkeratosis is a finding of dried skin cells on your Pap smear. This change in the cells of the cervix often occurs from using a cervical cap or diaphragm or from having a cervical infection. Hyperkeratosis rarely needs any more evaluation than a repeat Pap smear in 6 months. If the hyperkeratosis is still present on the repeat Pap smear, your doctor may want to repeat your Pap smear in another 6 months or perform colposcopy.

Please be sure that you let your doctor's office know if you move or change your phone number so that you can be contacted with the results of your Pap smears or to arrange any other follow-up tests you may need.


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