Abnormal smear and HPV- sick with worry!

[Ruth0505]

Hi everyone,

I'm desperately hoping someone will be able to relate to the situation I'm in at the moment and offer some sort of reassurance- I'm in anxiety hell. Following a smear taken on 26th July, I have only just received results this week which say I have tested positive for high risk HPV. It goes on to say that my cervix was checked for cell changes and changes have been noted. I have therefore been referred for a colposcopy (the appointment letter for which could take 8 weeks to arrive).

I haven't been able to stop crying and I am literally frozen with fear, unable to focus on anything else. I have a 3 year old DD and all I can think about is getting the worst possible news and leaving her and my partner behind.

I have now booked privately for the colposcopy which I'm due to have in 2 weeks time. I would be so so grateful for anyone who could offer any words of reassurance who have been in a similar position and had to have a colposcopy. My last smear was just before I had my DD and I went for my latest within the 3 year timescale. I had a c-section in July 2019 and hoping that if anything really sinister was there it would have been noticed at that point? thank you so much in advance from an incredibly worried Mum! x

Firstly, it's probably not even cancer.
Secondly, even if it is (big if) it's extremely treatable.
Do anything you can to distract yourself.
I know so many women have been there. All of them did not have cancer. Just changes that needed further investigation.

Hi, I had this almost 2 years ago. I had high risk HPV for 1 year which then turned into CIN2 changes.

If you have CIN1 they won't treat, if you have CIN2 they usually offer to treat or wait 6 months to see if the body clears it on its own accord. CIN3 they will treat.

The treatment isn't as bad as it seems, LLETZ - they use a loop to burn away the bad cells and use local anaesthetic so you can't feel a thing.

I truly believe that pregnancy can activate the HPV virus - this is what happened to me, I have had the same partner for 14 years.

Try not to hone in on the worst case scenario, chances are totally in your favour, cancer takes a LONG time to develop on the cervix so it's more than likely you will just have some cell changes which will be monitored or burned away.

After the LLETZ treatment (if you need it) you go for a follow up 6 months on called 'test of cure' it's believed that the treatment kicks your immune system into action and it clears the HPV as well as removing the cells.

Honestly I know you're probably blind with panic, I was the same with my baby but you will be ok. You have done the right thing by firstly going for your smear and then acting on the letter.

I had to have a colposcopy way back in 1997 and they removed some of the abnormal cells. I went back to regular smears and they have never reappeared. You will be fine as it sounds like you have been diligent in getting checked so they have found any abnormal cells before they turned potentially cancerous

Hi OP, I had a smear in April - results high risk HPV AND CIN3 cell Changes. I received the appointment text for the colonoscopy fbefore I'd even had the smear results. The appointment was the following week - I was petrified . At the colonoscopy the staff were lovely and very reassuring. They took 2 biopsies, and she said it looked more like Cin2. Had my results two weeks later and an appointment for a LLETZ. By that time I had done lots of reading (and looked at old threads on here) and was far less worried. Had the LLETZ - was painless - they took another biopsy and had the results fairly quickly CIN1.
I have to say I was impressed with the system - it was v efficient and quick. Now I'm back under the care of the GP - and have to go back for a smear in 6 months. Please try not to worry - the process is designed to pick up changes before cancer develops - and when u speak to other women it is pretty common.

I had a LLETZ for abnormal cells in 2001, I then had 6 monthly smear tests for the next 10 years before going back to 3 yearly. The treatment was quick and easy and I haven’t had an abnormal smear since, over 20 years later.

I had pre-cancerous cells 26 years ago. Colposcopy and then laser treatment. Back then it was 95% success rate, probably higher now. Yearly smears ever since, never had another abnormal result, I only recently went to 3-yearly tests. It's pointless me saying try not to worry, it's normal when faced with 'what if's'.
It's a horrible thing to go through but it's good that it's been identified and you will get treatment for it, doesn't sound like you've noticed any other symptoms which could suggest it's advanced (stomach pain, bleeding in between periods). Take care.

It’s a subject a lot of women don’t discuss but lots and lots of women get this. If it had been serious, they’d have had you in a week after your smear.

Thank you so much everyone for your reassurances. I managed to get a cancellation for the colposcopy for Monday evening, so far less time to worry!

How did you get on after

This happened to me some years back: tested positive for high-risk hpv and had cellular changes in my cervix. I had a history of abnormal smears so it was picked up on really quickly.

Now for the good news, and I can't emphasize this enough - this does not mean you have cancer!! It does not mean you will get cancer in the future!

What they've picked up is a very very early change in the cervical cells - this is a very common event and usually resolves itself without any treatment.The HPV positive test is also something that can resolve itself without treatment. In my case I went from positive to negative in about 18 months.

It is important to have the colposcopy and I'm glad you're going to get one very soon.

I had a smear test every three months for a year, and then every six months for another two years. Everything resolved itself so I needed no treatment. But friends of mine who did need treatment for the same thing all had totally positive outcomes.

I feel hugely grateful to the NHS who are prepared to act quickly and decisively on abnormal smears - this is what saves lives.

Wishing you all the very best - just remember never to always get your smears on time and don't worry until you have to.

I had a letz only 6 months ago for which biopsy was cin 1 ....clear margins...
My test of cure smear 2 weeks ago has come back has high grade servere so how 🤦‍♀️😭I'm convinced it's cancer and this is the last Xmas with my kids ..I camt eat,sleep im worried sick

Try not to worry @Bex4567 cervical cancer is extremely slow growing (usually takes years to go from CIN 1 to fully fledged cancer) and high grade cell changes still doesn’t mean cancer anyway. It’s likely you will have CIN 2 or 3 and a repeated LLETZ procedure xx

Thankyou for your reply that means alot...its just very worrying when your biopsy only 6 months ago was cin 1 ....yeah im hoping they just take them away again and get them for good 😭
Mine went from normal to cin 3 in like 2 years so I don't have much hope 😭

@Bex4567 it can take 10 years for CIN 3 cells to develop in to actual cancer, and that’s usually in such early stages that it can be fully removed by hysterectomy. Please don’t think of CIN 3 as cancer, it’s purely something that COULD become cancerous if left. And you’ve caught it quickly and it will be dealt with 😊

Why did you have a repeat smear so soon after your last LLETZ? X

When you have a lletz procedure u get a follow up smear 6 months later....this one for me came back worse than my previous smear 😭I don't understand...im finding it so hard I didnt expect this at all...im hoping the smear is wrong or they missed some on ny last lletz 😭

How did you get on?

Had another leetz treatment as it had come back and a bit on the vaginal wall...had bopsiys havnt had the result yet that was 3 weeks ago...Will go back in6 months for another check

I had an abnormal smear some years ago before they routinely tested for job during a smear. I was referred to gynae who did a biopsy which came back with CIN2 (cervical changes) and positive HPV.
I had a loop excision, (lettz?) which was a small loop that emits a current and burns off the abnormal cells.
I had local anaesthetic and didn't feel anything, some discharge for a few days and my next smear was clear.
The whole procedure took about 20 mins.
Please don't worry. The chance of you having cervical cancer is quite slim if you have regular smear tests and get CIN treatment if required.
But hugs- because like you I was petrified when I first found out I had an abnormal result.
X

Hi how did your follow up smear go

Cervical Screening Come Positive for Hpv and high grade changed cells. I can’t eat sleep I’m making my self sick since I got the results I have 2 young kids and I’m 31 years old , I blame my self that I didn’t go for smear test for about 4/5 years .please if you have a same situation or know smth about this help ti clear my mind till I go for checks.

Try not to worry. They are precancerous cells that could turn into cancer if left untreated. They will be removed if necessary during the colposcopy. Your condition is treatable.