Can someone who knows about cervical polyps/biopsies explain this please?

[margerykemp]

My Mum has just told me that when she was having her smear test they found a 'polyp' which she now needs to have a biopsy done on.

I'm a bit confused. I thought polyps were harmless and went away of their own accord. Is it maybe that there is a lump which is probably a polyp but they are checking if it is maybe cancerous?

I didn't want to ask her to much. She is a smoker in he late 50s-does this put her at high or low risk of this being something serious? She also said it had been 6 years since her last smear (she hadn't realised it had been that long).

Polyps are usually ok, it is good practice to get them checked out though, so the practice are doing the right thing. A very small percentage can have pre-cancerous or cancerous changes but it is very small so please try not to worry.

I had a G/A and a D & C on Monday, they had found a Polyp that was causing me to bleed for a month. Its been removed and sent for analysis - to check if its a good or bad polyp! I am slightly worried but at least its being checked.

Ok, as far as I know she hadn't had any symptoms, she was totally unaware of any problem until the smear.

I had one that was there for years. Every time I had a smear they took cells from the polyp and tested to make sure benign. Eventually, when I had another procedure they removed it at the same time and tested it again. Have they taken cells from it while doing the smear?

They will just be checking. Polyps can be benign or they might be cancerous- that is why they are checking.

However, smoking does increase the risk of developing cervical cancer- that's pretty well established. The recall rate for smears for women your mums age is every 5 years, so 6 years is a bit over that but not terrible.

I am mid 50s and have a smear privately every 2 years- younger women are offered it every3 years onthe NHS.

IMO I am hapier paying £50 or so to have one done more often just to be sure.