Abnormal cells in smear...layman's terms please?!

[TheCraicDealer]

Ok- so I'm 23, and in November I went for my second smear (they start doing them earlier in NI). I got the results last week, and apparently I have abnormal cells. The letter says not to worry, that this can happen sometimes, I'll get another one in six months, etc. Unfortunately I'm a worrier, big style.

I'd been chasing up the results with the surgery the day before the letter arrived, so the nurse rang me. She said that results in women my age could be quite unreliable, and that there were many possible causes for a result like this. ....like what? She said it could be hormonal, what does that mean? Is there anything I can do to increase my chances of getting a normal result next time?

I know I could probably get some of this information from the internet, but I was just hoping a nice, kindly MNing nurse would answer my questions in words of two syllables or less....

Thanks in advance for listening to my fanjo woes!

Hormones/thrush/slight bleed - any of those can show up as 'abnormal'. I had one once that showed 'pre-cancerous changes' and had to have a smear every 6 months for the next 3 years - but it settled down all by itself and now I'm 50 and never had a problem since.

They'll just call you back for another smear and it's more than likely that one will be normal. Even if it isn't, the whole point of regular smears is that changes in the cells take place ages before they turn cancerous so treatment is simple and effective.

There you go...

Don't worry! I had one in October too and shat my pants. However, when i calmed down, I found out that this is very common and as long as you go back for follow-ups, the chance of anything even slightly untoward developing are minimal because as soon as any cells appear they will know and they will whip 'em out. Basically.

Also, things like illness, mild infection, SOAP!, wrong type of underwear can flag up an abnormal result. Please don't worry. There are loads of threads on here about this. Look them up. It is so common.

I know it is worrying, but it really isn't anything to worry about. I have had 6 monthly smears for about the last 4 years and a couple of colposcopy exams because I keep showing up as having 'abnormal' cells. I have never had to have any treatment, as the changes have never been significant enough, and some smears during this time have shown up as normal. Like you, I really worried the first time they told me, but now it doesn't bother me much at all.

Thank you so much! I feel much better about it now. It makes it easier hearing reasons why I might get a result like that. And even if it isn't any of them, at least I'm 'in the system' and it'll get sorted.

Thanks again peeps

colposcopy website with info about what abnormal results mean

The point of waiting for 6 months is to give the body a chance to deal with whatever has caused the minimal abnormal changes. If you have a repeat done earlier you're not giving it that chance and are increasing the possibility of it coming back abnormal again.

Borderline changes means there are cells which have changes that aren't quite enough to be definitely abnormal but aren't quite right to be definitely normal. They are often due to things such as hormones, ICUD/IUD use or infections such as Candida (Thrush) or HPV.

Basically the abnormal cells are very active , and conditions such as I just mentioned can also make the cells quite active. Because there's a slight overlap we ask people to come back again in 6 months because the body/cervix has often settled down and it's better than going off to colposcopy for something that will, the majority of the time go away on it's own, a bit the like the body dealing with a cold.
See also the cervical screening website for more info.
The presence of the cervical Erosion or ectropian can mean that these hormonal changes, with inflammation on top can lead to the sample being called borderline.
It may also due to HPV infection which most women at some point in their lives will have had and cleared. You can have had HPV years before as well, as it's spread by skin to skin contact.
I can't say what has caused your result - obviously because I haven't seen the sample. There is overlap between the changes seen in the nucleus of the cell due to things like infection which make the cells active and abnormality which is also really active cells. This is why sometimes you get asked to come back as a precaution.

To put it in perspective we report in our screening lab about 9% of all tests as abnormal and around 4% are borderline changes. The vast majority of women having borderline changes go back to normal without any treatment.

I hope this info can help to put your mind at rest a little, and please do go back for your follow up test at the right time :)

I posted on here in sheer panic 7 months ago and was very reassured by some lovely posters.I had "borderline changes" I had a repeat smear 2 months ago which was normal.Hope you will too.

Hi Ledkr
Good to hear your follow up came back normal (am I allowed to say I remembered you and wondered how you got on?) :)