worried?

[sheisaeval.livejournal.com]

I just got a call from my obgyn regarding my last pap smear.

He said that I had an abnormal pap smear, and it looks like I have moderate/severe dysplasia.

He said I'll need to get an biopsy done, and that it is possible that I have CIN2 or CIN3.

I've never heard of these, what are these?
I'm worried now, not sure what is all this, can anyone explain in simple terms?



Added: Silly question, but could something like this be caused by rough sex?

Comments

[the-amputation.livejournal.com]

Cervical dysplasia (also called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or CIN) is a pre-cancerous tissue growth affecting the cervix (the lowest part of the uterus). Cervical dysplasia can occur in women of any age, and is most often found in women in their 20's and 30's.

Cervical dysplasia is pre-cancer, not cancer. So please dont worry too much until you have firm results. Dysplasia is not life-threatening, and is generally easy to treat and cure. However, dysplasia can develop into cervical cancer over time.

There are 3 grades of dysplasia: mild, moderate, and severe. These grades are often referred to as CIN1, CIN2, and CIN3. Severe dysplasia / CIN3 is the highest grade, that is, the closest to cancer. Carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) of the cervix can be thought of as "really bad" CIN3 - CIS is not quite invasive cancer, but very close to it.

Also to answer your last question, (which isnt as silly as you think), this is not caused by rough sex. Cervical dysplasia is caused by a sexually-transmitted virus called human papilloma virus (HPV), the same virus that causes genital warts. HPV exposure is more common in women who have had many sexual partners. Not all women who are exposed to the virus develop warts or cervical dysplasia - indeed, most people (women and men) who have this virus show no evidence of having it. Condom use can decrease the risk of being exposed to this virus, but does not eliminate the risk. Smoking appears to increase the risk of developing cervical dysplasia. Stress also appears to increase the risk of cervical dysplasia. Being "immunocompromised" (like having HIV/AIDS, or taking oral steroids) increases the risk for cervical dysplasia. Certain vitamin deficiencies (example: folic acid) may increase the risk for cervical dysplasia.

Hope that helps!
Christina

[sheisaeval.livejournal.com]

I've only been with one guy since I've been tested (for stds and hiv), don't smoke though

[the-amputation.livejournal.com]

I forgot to also mention that its possible to get cervical cancer or pre-cancerious cells with out having HPV. ( My mom did )

[onewithbriteyes.livejournal.com]

High-risk strains of HPV don't appear on a routine STI test, they are found exactly how you found it - from a Pap smear, so it is very difficult to pinpoint how or when you contracted it. However, don't let yourself think there is much you could or should have done differently. It is not possible to test for high-risk HPV in men (it is possible to determine if a man has a low-risk strain if he has visible warts), so it's very likely that a partner might have had it and had no idea. Also, condoms don't give you complete protection against HPV.

[etherealfire.livejournal.com]

Are you going to have to have a cone biopsy? My best friend had to have one of those. You cramp for a few days after, and bleed some, but it's not all that bad (from what she told me).

[onewithbriteyes.livejournal.com]

Cervical dysplasia, as the_amputation explained, is usually caused by a strain of HPV. Some strains (low risk) cause dysplasia, or abnormal cell growth, on the outer portions of your vulva (generally on or around the labia) - these are commonly referred to as genital warts. High risk strains cause abnormal cell growth on the surface of your cervix, and are generally found during a Pap Smear.

The abnormal cells, if left untreated, can become cancerous, which is why cervical dysplasia is referred to as pre-cancerous cells. However, finding abnormal cells does not mean you have cancer. It's easy to jump to the worst case scenario, but that is also the most unlikely, and does not sound like the situation you are in.

Your next step will probably be a colposcopy, which is like a pap smear with a camera and a rather uncomfortable process of taking a sample of your cervix to biopsy. Your doctor will apply a solution to the surface of your cervix that makes the abnormal cells appear a different color than the normal cells on camera. A colposcope is inserted to take pictures of your cervix, and a small sample is taken to biopsy. It's not the worst experience in the world, but it is more uncomfortable than a pap smear. This process, however, enables your doctor to most effectively treat the dysplasia.

In many women, the dysplasia will clear up on its own, but if your dysplasia is moderate or severe, your doctor will probably go ahead and treat it as opposed to waiting for it to clear up - just to be safe. The most common treatments are laser surgery and the LEEP procedure. They are both highly effective (98%) at removing all of the abnormal cell growth, and neither are too invasive or painful. The LEEP procedure is generally cheaper and more gynos have the ability to perform the procedure in office, as opposed to the laser surgery. Some OBGYN offices may have the equipment to perform laser surgery in office, but the small lasers are very expensive, and it is likely you would need to visit a hospital for the laser procedure. The laser procedure is somewhat more expensive usually (although both should be covered by insurance), but from what I understand it is more comfortable. Also, if it is performed in a hospital, you will have the option of being completely knocked out and there will be an anesthesiologist on hand. There are other, more invasive treatment options as well (cone biopsy, for example), but they are not preferred and are generally used for cases of CIN3 or CIS. I don't know as much about them, but there is a wealth of information online.

Doctors and researchers are still learning a lot about HPV and cervical dysplasia, but your doctor should be able to answer any questions about HPV itself, your dysplasia as well as treatment options.

I know this can be really hard and scary, I just went through this same process, and it isn't fun. Try and remember that this is VERY common though, and it is nearly impossible to avoid except by abstaining from sexual contact entirely. I found myself very caught up in wondering what I could have done differently, and I finally just had to accept that I did everything I could. I've never had unprotected sex, I've always had regular tests for STIs and HIV, and I found out I had it a year and a half in to a monogamous relationship. I did everything I was told and taught to do to have safe sex, and I still got HPV. Don't get down on yourself for it, just remember that it is super common and very treatable.

[sheisaeval.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is almost my third year in my mongamous relationship

Thanks!

[dotonthesun.livejournal.com]

Wow. You are a wealth of information!

We're lucky to have you around these parts.

I too went through this and had a leep done in 2005. In all honesty it is not a very painful procedure and it is over fairly quickly.

After that you just go for paps every six months to make sure everything is okey dokey.

[onewithbriteyes.livejournal.com]

Just to clarify, other treatment methods are also highly effective, and the only reasons I have been given to explain why they are not as preferable is that they are generally more invasive, have a potentially longer recovery time, and have a greater risk of scarring.

[cloudshapes.livejournal.com]

hi there, just wanted to say that it is completely normal to be feeling scared and unsure right now but everyone above me has given you excellent information that has hopefully made you feel better. :) i, too, have gone through this a few years back and was really scared of the whole unknown. i found it in my research that it is actually more common than you think and since they caught the dysplasia through your routine pap (yay for pap smears!) you have an excellent chance to have a full recovery from the treatment.

i had a colposcopy done, which wasn't the best but could have been worse (mine was especially difficult because they were training someone how to do it, so it took 3x as long!) and that was enough in my case and no further treatment was necessary (they were able to get all of the abnormal cells during the biopsy). after that, i had to have paps every few months for the following year so they could monitor my cervix and make sure everything was a-okay.

try not to worry too much! these are simple procedures that many women here have gone through, so be sure to post more if you have any questions or concerns about anything! best of luck to you.