abnornal cells in smear test - panicking

[jeangenie]

someone please tell me it'll be ok...

it's my younger sister (she's 36), she got a call from her gynae yesterday and when she phoned back today they said there is some abnormality - she has to go back in next week and then be referred to a specialist

I haven't managed to speak to her yet (she's in Switzerland, I'm in London) and am beside myself with worry

(she has had so much bad luck in terms of health in her little family lately that they are thinking the worst already, her DH is in complete shock)

what are best, medium and worst case scenarios?

[jeangenie]

oh thanks Ruby. She has been pregnant four times in the last four years (none of the babies made it, and that was just the start of their bad luck, so you can kind of see why they automatically expect the worst now) and so her hormones are probably all over the place - that might explain it

I won't relax til I talk to her, though her last text said she was very upset

[Mumpbump]

Someone else posted a very similar thread yesterday. I had two abnormals smears followed by two colposcopies and a biopsy. Nothing was found, but I had to have annual smears for a while. There are LOTS of people out there who have colposcopies so she should definitely not assume the worst.

[jeangenie]

this is very reassuring. Thanks ladies.

Will do search for other threads now.

[ellasmum1]

Please don't panick. I had an abnormal smear in october last year and was terrified and sobbed over it at first. However since then i discovered how extremely common abnormal smears are (1 in 12 I think), and that abnormal findings are usually not cancer at all, but if left untreated may possibly lead to cancer. It is also an extremely slow gowing form of cancer so smears can catch v early and it is one of the easiest cancers to treat 100%successfully. I am sure your sister will be fine.

[theheadgirl]

I'm sure it'll just be a precautionary thing Jeangenie, even if it is anything dodgy (v. unlikely) the changes are so slow it can be got rid of these days. Like Ruby just said we all need to go for our tests, the worrying thing would be if her abnormal cells had NOT been discovered IYSWIM All the best to you and her, hope its sorted soon

[MrsBeee]

Please dont panic. Abnormal cells are very common and over 50% of the time the body will correct the problem by itelf. They will probably do a colposcopy, which sounds scary, but all it is is a smear test with a special lense, so that the person doing the smear can look at the cervix closer. If the abnormality is mild, they will probably leave it to sort itself out. Or they may offer to treat it there and then, which is virtually painless and very quick - you can go back to work / normal life straight away. All done under local anaesthetic. This site is very helpful.

Most abnormal cells are caused by the HPV virus which causes genital warts in some people, and abnormal cells on the cervix in others. Cervical cancer is relatively rare in the UK and Europe, because of the screening programme in place. Just to reassure you, even if abnormal cells are present for a very long time, it would take years and years for the changes to become cancer. This is why smear tests are now 5 yearly in this country.

[theheadgirl]

Oooh useful link MrsBeee, pass it on to your sis JeanGenie. I'm on my second 6 month gap between mildly abmormal smears. Not too worried, I'm sure its linked to the fact I've changed to the diaphragm for contraception.

[jeangenie]

thanks for that link - will pass on to my sis

haven't spoken to her yet (she is up a mountain somewhere) but I am feeling far less panicked now, so hopefully she will too

[Pinkchampagne]

Try not to worry too much. As others have said, abnormal smears are very common.
I had an abnormal smear result around 10 years back. I panicked a bit at first, but was reassured by my doctor that it was nothing to panic about & was very very common.
I had to have a colposcopy done, which was like a bit uncomfortable, but nothing awful, where they confirmed there were minor cell changes.
I went back a week later & they attempted to freeze the cells, but the freezing didn't work.
They told me the changes were so minor that they would probably correct themselves without further treatment.
I went back 6 months later & the abnormal cells had gone!
I have regular smear tests since & not had another abnormal result.