Progression to cervical cancer happens slowly
Cervical dysplasia is notcervical cancer.
Because it has some potential to develop into cancer, it’s often called aprecancer.
Each year, 250,000 to 1 million people get cervicaldysplasia.Different grades of cervical dysplasia range from mild to severe.
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While it can progress from one grade to another, that’s not always the case.
This article discusses what you should know about cervical dysplasia treatment and the risk of developing cervical cancer.
They can also enter the lymph system or bloodstream to reach other body parts.
Cervical dysplasia can clear up on its own and never cause a problem.
But the more abnormal the cells are, the more likely they become cancerous.
Most people treated for precancerous conditions of the cervix don’t develop cervical cancer.
An unclear, equivocal, or inconclusive result means there may be abnormal changes.
You might need to take another test to clarify.
Anabnormalresult means the test detected abnormal cells on the cervix.
Cervical changes happen slowly, and cervical dysplasia doesn’t always progress.
A more significant factor in progression may be persistenthuman papillomavirus(HPV) infection.
HPV doesn’t always cause cervical cancer.
But it does cause almost all cases of cervical dysplasia.
The immune system can usually take care of the short-term infection that causes low-grade changes to cervical cells.
High-grade changes from long-lasting infections are more likely to become cancer without treatment.
If you have a healthy immune system, cervical cancer can take 15 to 20 yearsto develop.
Treatment: What Do Providers Do for Cervical Dysplasia?
If you have abnormal test results, the next step is usually acolposcopy.
Colposcopy is a procedure that lets your provider examine the cervix.
Like a regular pelvic exam, your provider will use aspeculumto fire up the vagina.
Then they’ll apply a vinegar solution to highlight abnormal areas.
They’ll remove a sample of the abnormal tissue and send it to a lab.
Treatment involves removing or destroying abnormal cells.
You might also experience discomfort or minor cramping.
Your provider may recommend avoiding intercourse and tampons for four to six weeks.
Because CIN 1 often goes away on its own, your provider may not recommend immediate treatment.
You’ll likely need follow-up testing in six to 12 months.
Many people find a pelvic exam with aspeculumuncomfortable or even painful.
Your provider will likely suggest a schedule for follow-up testing.
This may includeHPVtesting or HPV/Pap co-testing in one to three years.
Cervical cancer screeningcan help prevent you from getting cervical cancer.
you could’t feel cervical dysplasia.
Most people have no symptoms of HPV or cervical dysplasia until it develops into cancer.
Getting regular Pap and HPV tests is the best way to find it.
Summary
Cervical dysplasia means you have abnormal cells on the surface of your cervix.
It’s not cancer.
Cervical dysplasia can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Mild dysplasia often clears up without treatment.
But it’s considered a precancer because it has the potential to become invasive.
Your provider may recommend treatment for moderate to severe dysplasia.
This may involve removing or destroying the abnormal cells.
With treatment, most cases of cervical dysplasia don’t progress to cancer.
Finding and treating abnormal cells can help prevent cervical cancer from developing.
Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.Cervical dysplasia.
World Health Organization.Cervical cancer.
Canadian Cancer Society.Precancerous conditions of the cervix.
National Cancer Institute.CIN 1.
National Cancer Institute.CIN 2.
National Cancer Institute.CIN 3.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Cervical dysplasia.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cervical dysplasia treatment.
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National Cancer Institute.Understanding cervical changes: a health guide.
National Cancer Institute.HPV and Pap test results: Next steps after an abnormal cervical cancer screening test.
