Abnormal cells after a pap?

Question

I recently went to Planned Parenthood for my annual, and about 2 weeks later or so, they sent me a letter in the mail that said I had an abnormal pap. In the letter it said..."The results of your pap showed (abnormal cells/HPV) " They had circled abnormal cells and crossed out HPV. What does that mean? They also said I need to come in for a colposcopy. Im so scared that i have cancer or something weird. Its been like 4 months since I got the letter b/c i have to keep canceling my appt b/c everytime im on my period....i need comfort advice!!!

Answer 1

Abnormal Cells found in a pap are quite common and in no way suggest you have cancer.

However, quit screwing around and get in there and get the next testing done. That test will determine if you actually have cancerous cells, or just pre-cancerous. If only pre-cancerous, it just means that it is POSSIBLE, not POSITIVE that they could develop into cancer.

This happens all the time, quit worrying about what MIGHT happen and just do what you need to do to be safe. Odds are in your favor that this has been caught early and you will be fine.

Answer 2

ok I can give you some advice... abnormal cells are NOT cancer they will only turn into cancer after many years if left untreated so firstly you must get the treatment.HPV is human papilloma virus and abormal cells are graded as CIN1 2 or 3 (3 been the severest form of abnormality) . Basicalloy whats happened is some of your cervical cells look a bit different and need to be treated this is done by a treatnment called colposcopy. You have a local injection to numb your cervix, a small biopsy is taken to anyalse the cells and determine cin (be it 1 2 or 3) I have had both cin 1 and 2 and I was offered lletz treatment. Lletz means large loop extraction of the transformation zone, what that means is they use a heated loop to scrape away the cells.Please dont keep putting it off as I said it can take years for the cells to develop in to cancer . Once you have had the treatment you may be asked to go every 12 months for a smear just so that they can monitor you but this is for your benefit, I have to go every 6 months now. You do not have cancer I know it's a bit scary but please be assured it is treatable if you get the treatment. I wish you all the best. Love JLB

Answer 3

Please do not get nervous. Abnormal cells are common, it does not necessarily mean that something is wrong. I had the same test results, got a colposcopy, and was diagnosed with HPV. I had a LEEP procedure which removed the cells, and have had no recurrences of abnormal cells. It has been 6 years, and all of my pap smears since have come back normal. Get the colposcopy, it is a simple procedure, there is no pain (it feels like a pap smear), and the doctor will get to see what exact state your cells are in. Remember, there is a good chance that you have nothing to worry about. Once the colposcopy is performed, your doctor will tell you exactly where you stand. Putting this procedure off will not benefit you in any way, however, getting it done right away will allow the doctor to tell you exactly where you stand. Don't be afraid - there is help available if you do, in fact, have HPV.

Answer 4

What you need to do is go to the place that ordered up the PAP test in the first place, and do what you really should have done long ago... ask them for a full explanation of your test result. You can easily calculate a time when you will NOT be on a period, and ask them to schedule you for around that time for your further investigative tests
The "abnormal cells" result doesn't necessarily mean you HAVE cancer. All it usually means is that some of the cells show signs that it is POSSIBLE for them to turn cancerous somewhere down the road. This is not bad news, but good news, because it means that the "early warning signals" have been picked up before they have a had a chance to t ranslate into "the condition"
Let me tell ya, waaaaay more people die because they were afraid of test results, than ever die from the actual disease. They die because that condition was not properly diagnosed and treated BEFORE it was too late.

Answer 5

Colposcopy is a scary word, but it's not all that bad. They'll take a sampling of your cells to test for things like HPV and cancer. Most likely you have a strain of HPV, which over 80% of people get during their lifetime at least once while they are sexually active. Most likely, the colposcopy will come back low grade and you come back in a couple months for another pap just to make sure you're clear! If they thought cancer at any moment they'd get you in immediately. While it's an inconvenience it's a normal procedure!

Answer 6

I had a test come back as abnormal cells when the midwife did my pap while I was pregnant with my daughter. She scared me to death as I had just had a pap 6 months before and it was fine. They sent my sample off to be DNA tested by a different lab to see if HPV was present. It wasn't, all I had to do was get my pap at 8 weeks when I had my check-up then follow up if anything was abnormal.
Lots of things can cause an abnormal pap result. I am convinced mine was caused by midwife scraping me so hard it hurt and I bled. The blood was most likely the cause of my abnormal test. The most important thing is to go back and get tested....the not knowing and the "what if's" will drive you crazy.
Wishing you the best!

Answer 7

If abnormal cells are present in PAP test, it is routine to do a coloscopy. They take a scope inside and examine cervix, vagina/ etc.
If anything needs biopsied they will do it at this time.
I had one and though it is uncomfortable, it is not painful. Maybe you will feel a cramp feeling, but other than that I am sure it will go well.
DO NOT get freaked out, yet honey!!! Don't automatically jump into the cancer vapor lock & think all is the end. IT IS NOT!!!
First off, many have abnormal PAPs and everything ends up alright....(I did & found I have a few beneign cysts that the doc watches... Second, if...heaven forbid it would be some sort of cancerous growth, etc. , they can treat that and you will live to hug your grand babies and live your life BUT>>>>>>
PLEASE DO YOUR FOLLOW UP VISIT and schedule your test. It may be scary, but could be scarier to know you waited too long to take care of yourself. The number 1 reason cancer does kill is because of no detection or not getting treatment before a certain point..
So PLEASE!!!!! go to the doc, okay? If you need to talk with someone about it, e-mail me... Just PLEASE take care of yourself.
& not just for yourself, what about the freinds, family, etc. who love you??
[e-mail]

Answer 8

I had an extraordinary pap a couple of years in the past, and the comply with-up used to be irregular. The colposcopy (oh, what amusing--no longer!) confirmed not anything of problem. I have not had an irregular as soon as seeing that. I don't have any inspiration why the ones got here again irregular. Chances are, the medical doctors could have you come for paps each and every six months till you may have 2 years' valued at of usual paps. There could also be no clarification they may be able to discover for an irregular pap. It simply--occurred. I doubt exchanging the tablet might purpose this, nor do I believe an ingrown toenail might have an effect on it.

Answer 9

Abnormal cells can mean a lot of things. The fact they crossed out HPV probably means you do not have the human papaloma virus a virus that can cause cervical cancer. However; the sooner you find out what the abnormal cells are and seek treatment the better chance you have of catching it at an early stage and treating it in its entirety. Its possible that their test was wrong have another pap test done and see if it yields the same results.

Answer 10

Go and have the colposcopy. A colposcopy is a visual examination of the cervix--a relatively simple and painless procedure, usually performed in your physician's office. The actual procedure lasts approximately ten to fifteen minutes.
It is always best to have it checked out. It is most likely not cancer, but if it is, at least you will find it early and be able to treat it aggressively. Don't put it off any longer!!