Cervical Dysplasia (Abnormal Cervical Cell Growth)
An abnormal result from your Regular Pap test often leaves you feeling a dread of the unknown. It's often difficult to make sense of your HPV test results. You're not alone. Getting an abnormal test does not mean that you have cervical cancer now; nevertheless, you may be at an increased risk for it in the future.
Thanks to the pap smear, cervical cancer is being detected earlier; however, precancerous lesions (dysplasia) are diagnosed more frequently than invasive cervical cancer. Conventional management includes colposcopy with possible excisional procedures. The goal is to remove the abnormal cells and remove the cells that are infected with the HPV virus, but often these treatments may result in complications that make pregnancy and child birth more difficult.
There Are Options
Cervical cells change very slowly and it is possible that your cell changes will never turn into cancer. Because of the risks and side effects of standard treatment and the slow-growing nature of cervical cells, often there is a period of "watch and wait" followed by a repeat pap to determine your cancer risk.
Instead of this "watch and wait" approach, there are treatment options available that can reduce your risk of further precancerous or cancerous changes. Supporting the immune system to fight off HPV as well as treating the virus directly can reverse low-grade cervical cell changes and eliminate HPV.