Colposcopy/smear/pregnancy advice

[LoRayningNewtsAndFrogs]

I had a smear around 6 months ago and was told I had CIN3, So I had to have a colposcopy. The results from the colposcopy came back as non-cancerous but I was told I would have to have a check up smear in 6 months time.

A month later I fell pregnant, so am now nearly 4 months and just received a smear appointment through the post. I have been trying to call the department all afternoon but have had no answer.

Does anyone know if I will still have to have this smear test or if it would damage the pregnancy??

Your smear test result was CIN III. That is not "invasive cancer", but cancer nontheless (called "cancer in-situ"). It would be highly unusual for colposcopy to find absolutely nothing wrong with your cervix.

Why did you gynecologist ask for a repeat smear test in six months if it was "non-cancerous"?

Without meaning to scare you, I will tell you two RL stories:

First is mine. I was diagnosed with "highly abnormal cells" in a smear test and then colposcopy confirmed this as CIN III. I had a small operation on the cervix, was pregnant within a year, and had no problems conceiving nor carrying to term. Gyne did not do a smear test during pregnancy. So that is the good story.

The bad story is a friend of mine, who neglected smear tests for a couple of years, and then went on to have a baby. At her 6 week checkup, doctor did a smear test which came back abnormal. Several operations later, the cancerous area was still not totally cleaned and they had to do a hysterectomy.

Doctors told her that pregnancy hormones make existing cancers grow much faster, and so smear tests are essential before getting pregnant. Apparently, this is why moles get bigger, and myomas (benign tumors) in the womb multiply during pregnancy.

All this to say that you need to contact your gyne at once. [Didn't you contact him when you got pregnant?]

Good luck!

Hmm, well basically they did my smear and then I went for a colposcopy where they did a LEEP there and my letter from the hospital said that the bit they chopped off, had no sign of cancer.

I did mention the CIN III to my doctor and my midwife when I found out I was pregnant. Neither of them seemed to think it was an issue

As for my gyne, I just saw two nurses at the colposcopy clinic, which is who I got todays letter from, and am trying to contact.

bump

Sorry Lorayn, no advice but bumping for you

I had a CIN III in 1999 treated with a Letz and fell pregnant with ds October 06. I had been on yearly recall for smears until then, but due to one thing and another had actually left it 18 months since the previous one, but being so long after treatment it wasn't really a concern.
My obstetrician wanted to repeat it when I was 15 weeks pregnant to ensure that if anything was happening they would know about it and be able to plan treatment or early delivery if necessary. By the second trimester it is perfectly safe for the baby to perform the smear and much safer for the mum than leaving things undetected. I did have a bit of pink discharge for about 24 hours after, but nothing else as the cervix is a bit more delicate during pregnancy. It all came back as OK and I'm now on 3 yearly recall.

The only thing that was of slight concern was that due to the Letz I was at risk of premature delivery, but at the 30+ week stage rather than earlier. DS made his appearance at 38 weeks.

At the end of the day it is your choice whether to go ahead or postpone the smear until after the baby has arrived.

Are you due to have a repeat colopscopy at any point? Then they could keep an eye on your cervix without poking about! I'm trying to remember what happened in my pregnancy 2 years after I had a cone biopsy for CIN3...I don't think I had a smear but I did have a colposcopy a few weeks after the birth which showed some new growth of abnormal cells (which subsequently cleared up with no treatment, have had normal smears since then)

If you had a LEEP which is now seemingly clear, they may well suggest that you skip the 6 month smear and go back after the birth for either a smear or a colpo. But do talk to the clinic, they will suggest the best way forward.

I had CIN III a few years ago, and a cone biopsy. Without wanting to contradict CoteDAzur, my consultant told me repeatedly that this was NOT cancer, and would not necessarily become cancer, but was pre-cancerous (albeit the most severe). I wonder if this is what the clinic meant when they told you the results were non-cancerous? Anyway, I then had two children in the next couple of years and was told not to have smears during either pregnancy. I have been clear ever since and now only have to have smears once a year. As others have said, talk to the clinic, but don't worry - I imagine they'll just say they'll wait til after the baby is born.

I had a colposcoy and Leep treatment in April 2005. They managed to completely remove the CIN3. The next month I got pregnant. I spoke to the nurse at the colposcopy clinic about smears and pregnancy. She said that I should have a smear 3 months after I gave birth as it takes this long for your cervix to get back to normal. She also said that having Leep shouldn't impact on my pregnancy at all, except there was a slightly increased risk of having a baby born slightly early, by which she meant 37 or 38 weeks. Sure enough I gave birth at 37 weeks. However my DD had also been born at 37 weeks so this might just be how my body works. I had a smear 3 months later and it came back as completely normal. Being checked at 6 monthly interval kicked in from then.

By the way, I don't think having a smear in pregnancy is necessarily a problem as I understand that in USA this is done as part of routine ante-natal checks.

lorayningnewtsandfrongs - talk to your midwife and gp and see what they think. They wont do it if they think the risk is uneccesary. I have to say, i'm a bit confused by a CIN3 result not being treated, but i wonder if it was because you said the results of the colposcopy came back non-cancerous. Was it that you had the heated loop treatment of the area at the time of the colp?? Thats what i had, was told it there were some cancerous cells but had all been excised.I had a check up smear 6 months later and it was fine, no problems (apart from mortified student doctor having to do what i called the pipe cleaner smear - poor guy was mortified and couldnt do it, i just made it worse by joking around, havn't you done that yet sort of comments - he was as red as a beetroot, oh you may have noticed i am not shy!) All follow ups were normal, that was ten years ago. I still insist on yearly smears for my own peace of mind, athough the doc refused to do one this time as im back on three year recall

To be honest, if they have removed the abnormal cells and found no cancerous cells then i cant see a problem here and they will probably let you wait til after the birth of the baby to have the smear.

Oh, just read that you had the LEEP - its fine, dont worry, you dont need to have the smear IMO. They will have removed everything and wont be a problem. The only thing will be yearly smears. If you want further reassurance, ring the colposcopy clinic and im sure they can put your mind at rest. Then you can get back to thinking about more important things, like whether or not i should buy the bloody toaster!!!!

If you had the LEEP operation, and they told you after the biopsy of the piece cut out that all cancerous tissue was taken out you do not need another smear test until the end of your pregnancy

However, talk to your gyne right away. Tell him you recently had a LEEP and ask if your cervix needs to be surveyed throughout the pregnancy.

LEEP is also the operation I had, by the way.

HAVING TO HAVE A COLPOSCOPY DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE CANCER, OR INDEED CANCER IN SITU. I HAD ONE THIS MORNING AND NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.

CIN III is known as carcinoma in situ but IS NOT CANCER.

See this from the cancer backup site.

CIN 3 is also known as carcinoma-in-situ. Although this sounds like cancer, CIN 3 is not cancer of the cervix. It is only if the deeper layers of the cervix have been affected by the abnormal cells that a cancer has developed. However, it is important that it is treated as soon as possible.

Woah, blast from the past!