Do I have cancer? (women only)?

Question

Pap smear done a month ago returned some "abnormal cell changes". What does this mean? The woman called to make another appointment for me to come in for more tests. She said it wasn't an STD but said the purpose of these check ups for for cervical cancer and things like it. Cervical Cancer is caused by the STD called H.P.V.

Cell changes can also be caused by yeast infections, which they said I might have & put me on medicine.

But what does this mean & why are the cells abnormally changing?

Answer 1

Probably 90% of women have had a abnormal pap smear sometime in their lives.
There are various reasons for this to occur.

Abnormal Pap smear results are often explained by an infection or an inflammation. Yeast infections, post partum, herpes, trichomonas, recent sexual activity, or use of vaginal preparations, are often things which cause an abnormal Pap smear result.
Many times the culprit is HPV or human papilloma virus, sometimes referred to as genital warts. HPV is a common infection in women and has been detected in women in their seventies; up to 60% of sexually- active women may carry this virus on their cervix, genital area, or skin and are completely unaware of it.

Answer 2

It could be anything. A lot of women have HPV and don't even know it. You probably don't have cancer, but may have HPV. You could have an infection during the time of your test.

As hard as it is to do, don't freak out about it until you have further testing. Is she trying to get you to have a colposcopy? If so, it's uncomfortable and annoying since it's like a really long pap test. If they need to do a biopsy, that can hurt a little, but it's just a pinch.

But the only way to know what is going on is to do your follow ups. And keep in mind there are a lot of reasons your test could come back abnormal, all of which mean nothing in the long run.

Answer 3

The test just basically shows some changes. It does't mean that you have cancer. The tests you will have on the follow up will tell you what the abnormal changes are. It could be nothing but DO go back and make sure. If caught early cervical cancer is highly curable. Try not to worry too much. I have had abnormal results before and it turned out to be nothing but Dr keeps it in mind and keeps an eye on me. Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 4

It sounds like there are precancerous cells. That is why a pap smear should be done every year, to catch it before it turns cancerous. I was one of those women who hated doctors, specially the yearly exam, and I waited a long time before having it checked and I had cervical cancer. Thankfully I am okay now, after a hysterectomy 15 yr ago. Not all cervical cancers are caused by the HPV virus.

Answer 5

the cells are abnormally changing because the hpv virus in in there...they will continue to do so until they reach their cancerous stage....if it is early yhen you have nothing to worry about what u need to do is make sure you get your yearly pap smears after this so if the cells begin to change rapidly it can be treated early....

dont let the woman lie to you...hpv is an std...you got it from some guy and it can be easliy passed on ...even through condoms..i freaked when i found out...the thing is there is no way of testing men for this virus..

i have a website in the bottom you should go there for more info..

Answer 6

Lol to answer your question, yes cancer woman and scorpio man is a very good match. My boyfriend is a scorpio wheras I'm a cancer and we are very happy together. On the other hand, I also have a great relationship with my younger brother who is a cancer as well. We grew up together and hardly have any fights or sibling rivalry and we tell each other our secrets. Many of which our parents don't even know. We are each other's best friends. To top it off, my brother and my boyfriend get along very well too. So go figure, I have both scorpio and cancer men in my life and they do get along with me very well.

Answer 7

abnormal cell changes can be caused by a number of things your dr should have you scheduled for a biopsy where they will scrape your cervix and test the abnormal cells..its called a colposcopy(sp?)....i had to have one done a few years ago because of an abnormal pap.......it is a bit uncomfortable but it doesn't hurt, and they will be able to tell if those cells are malignant or benine...good luck...and hvp can be cause by other things than a std if you are under the age of 26 it wouldnt hurt to get the gardisil shot..it protect you from hpv.

Answer 8

It could be precancerous, but not cancerous. They just want to make sure. I had a colleague who had the same sort of thing and she was precancerous, meaning that it could change to cancer left unchecked. I don't remember if she was on meds but it was nothing like chemo or anything. I do know she had a pap smear every 6 months. (Isn't it amazing how so many don't answer the question you're asking?) Good luck!

Answer 9

My sister had cervical cancer and she did not get it from an STD.I wouldn't worry about it this hard. My sister was treated for cervical cancer and is cancer free for nine years.They found it after she gave birth to her Daughter witch is common.
Just because the pap was abnormal does not mean you have cancer.

Answer 10

I've had an abnormal pap; I think most women have. They will probably do a culposcopy, which is when they scrape a little biopsy of the cervix. Mine turned out fine; my doc said that my cervix is just chronically irritated - hubby got a kick out of that!! I'm sure you'll be fine.