Iffy smear tests

[alypaly]

Just had my umpteenth questionable smear in 6 years. Keep gettin 2 bad ones followed by 2 good ones so they keep telling me everything is ok. Had another one yesterday becos my last one was suspect and the sister who did it has now said that because they are alteranating they need to do the cervix diathermy. She said if i then get another smear that is abnormal it is obvious the precancerous cells are coming from within the uterus.
Is it rocket science or does it take 6 years to come to this conclusion.
its my life they are playing yet again!!!!!!!

[Meglet]

How awful . Are they going to do a colposcopy or hysteroscopy (look inside the womb)? Have you got wait another few months for another smear?

FWIW I had very abnormal smears, colposcopies on and off for years, 2 LLETZ treatments, hysteroscopy and as I'm having no more dc's and I was happy with it they did a hysterectomy 2 weeks ago to put an end to it. I'm hoping I'm safe now.

[alypaly]

already had a coploscopy 3 years ago and they took 3 plugs of cervical skin cells to test. They came back normal..so now i am worried that the problem has come from higher up in the womb. It is now worrying me as 5 years ago they said i had 3 fibroids and i know they can become malignant...Maybe they are not fibroids... only had the smear on thursday so will have to wait for the results but they have still said to go for this diathermy. Then wait for that to heal b4 they do another smear. If that comes back abnormal then i guess they will have to whip the whole lot out wont they

[alypaly]

whats a lletz treatment

[Meglet]

LLETZ - www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=2764#lletz

Am I right in thinking the 3 plugs taken were the biopsies? Maybe you could ask them about a hysteroscopy, at least they can see what is happening in your womb. They did mine when I had the LLETZ to remove the abnormal cells, I had a general anaesthetic for it.

I only had a hysterectomy as I had definately finished having dc's and had yet another abnormal smear this year. My consultant didn't pressure me at all, in fact he seemed quite suprised I was ok with it, although he did say he was concerned that another LLETZ treatment would have prevented me from having more dc's as they had taken quite big chunks out in the first two. And I still have my ovaries so I won't get an early menopause. I think a hysterectomy for non-cancerous results is still very much a last resort.

[alypaly]

What is the lletz treatment.

I have already been told that i have 2 golfball sized fibroids and one 3 inch one actually embedded in the wall of my uterus so my gynaecologist said they cannot be removed from inside as they are embedded too far into the wall and there would be a high risk of extensive bleeeding.
I have just finished my menopause so i guess its no big deal to have it all removed, ovaries and all. I just wonder why the smear testing unit have taken so long to come to this decision for me. Bit scary if the pre cancerous cells have been there for 6 years

[alypaly]

just read the info on lletz.this is what they have offered to do..to remove the tip of the cervix and then to check a smear a few weks later... thx for the info

[BellaNoir]

Alypaly - the management for women with persistent but intermittent low grade changes is fairly conservative - they often eventually go away. The immune system takes longer to deal with it in some people. If you have 2x mild or 3x borderline then you'd be referred to colposcopy.
if you've been having tests with borderline changes which alternate with negative ones, and you had negative biopsies at the time, then yes we (in the lab) would wait until the 2nd or 3rd bc to refer again. I think your Gp has decided to refer you back regardless of what the result of your current test partly because of your other problems possibly?

Have a look at the NHS CSP website, this publication in particular. It gives the national guidance on when labs should refer and follow up. It also tells which is evidence based or professional consensus.
The iffy cells may or may not come from within the uterus, it's generally more likely they're from the cervix as that's what's being directly sampled.
It sounds like you're being looked after so I hope it gets sorted out.

[alypaly]

fibroids havent bothered me , didnt really know they were there til they scanned me.
I have more than 6 borderline smears in the last 5-6 years, colposcopy negative, punch biopsies negative and now i am being told it cud be higher up...just a tad frightening.
have been given vagifem as i was told that hormone treatment can make the cells return to normal but if it is further inside, how wud they know.

[alypaly]

i have been on 6 monthly smears for 5-6 years continuously which i think is a bit long dont you

[BellaNoir]

If the scenario is that you had as example:
1st smear: bc
6 month: bc
6 month: neg
6 month: neg
6 month: bc - refer to colposcopy
Colposcopy - biopsies, negative
6 month later: neg (?)
6 month: bc
6 month: neg
6 month: neg
6 month: bc
now - not yet know

That is how it could go under the management guidelines I linked to above, so yes it could be that long. Remember that you have been for colposcopy in that time and it is a good tool for assessing the cervix. Many women have minor abnormalities on and off for years, perhaps their body's immune system are a bit slower at tidying up. This is why if it carries on for awhile you'll be referred. They're trying to avoid over-treating someone who (in most cases) has minor cell changes.

[alypaly]

Good morning bella, your and early birs on here. Just checking Face book as my son has gone to OZ.
thanks for the info, i will bear that in mind when they give me my results which shud be in 5-6 weeks.What about my 3 fibroids.as they are still quite obvous on scans and have not got smaller after menopause as they said they would.
MY GYNAE CONS SAID THEY SHUD SHRINK BUT I AM 5 YEARS POST MENOPAUSE?
My friends turned malignant and one ended up as a hydatidiform mole.Once removed she was given 6 months to live and they told her they were fibroids

[alypaly]

Guess i wud like them to be conservative, but not if there is a minute risk. I have just had my gall bladder out so there wont be much left if they remove all that aswell. Is she right in the loop diathermy next to ascertain if it is coming from higher up.