Regular screening according to the recommended schedule is important to guard against false negatives, when results are normal when abnormal cells are present.
Your physician may have you repeat your Pap test if the results come back either unsatisfactory or abnormal. Abnormal results have already been discussed and a repeat test is sometimes necessary to confirm the presence of precancerous cells.
Unsatisfactory results, however, mean that the test could not be accurately conducted due to insufficient cells, the presence of mucus or blood, or an administrative error. It is entirely safe to get a Pap test done if you are under 24 weeks pregnant, and in fact, one will likely be done early in your pregnancy to ensure that any abnormalities can be immediately addressed.
This is because after you give birth, you may receive unreliable Pap test results because of the presence of inflammatory cells. As previously mentioned, if your Pap smear test comes back abnormal, your physician may recommend you undergo a procedure called a colposcopy.
During this procedure, your physician will use a lighted instrument with a magnifier to look more closely at any abnormal areas on your cervix.
From these abnormal areas, your physician will conduct a biopsy remove some tissue to be tested for cancer cells. The cells that are removed will be sent to a laboratory to be tested. Biopsy results for cervical cancer tests can take up to two weeks to receive, but your physician should be able to let you know if they saw any abnormal areas on your cervix during the colposcopy.
Getting regular Pap tests along with an HPV test after age 30 according to the recommended schedule is the best way to reduce your risk of cervical cancer.
You can also get the HPV vaccine to prevent most cancer-causing strains of HPV if you are between the ages of nine and Finally, there are several steps you can take in your personal life to lower your risk of cervical cancer:. There is no single action you can take to completely eliminate your risk of getting cervical cancer, but if you follow all of the above recommendations together, your risk will be significantly reduced. However, even if you use all of these suggestions, you should still get regular Pap tests to monitor your reproductive health.
Cervical Cancer The Pap test has long been the most common test used to detect early changes in cells that could eventually evolve into cervical cancer. Human Papillomavirus Pap smear tests can also be used to test for human Papillomavirus or HPV, which an infection that carries a risk of cervical cancer.
Research into the best age to screen for cervical cancer suggests that screening younger women can do more harm than good. Even if over 65, you will continue to be invited for screening until you have had three consecutive results that are negative for HPV and show no cell changes. This will dramatically reduce the incidence of abnormal cells and cervical cancer and other cancers in the future. Our short survey takes just a few minutes to complete and helps us to keep improving our health information.
At Bupa we produce a wealth of free health information for you and your family. This is because we believe that trustworthy information is essential in helping you make better decisions about your health and wellbeing.
It also follows the principles of the The Information Standard. This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence.
It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals and deemed accurate on the date of review. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition. Any information about a treatment or procedure is generic, and does not necessarily describe that treatment or procedure as delivered by Bupa or its associated providers. The information contained on this page and in any third party websites referred to on this page is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice nor is it intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment.
Third party websites are not owned or controlled by Bupa and any individual may be able to access and post messages on them. Bupa is not responsible for the content or availability of these third party websites. We do not accept advertising on this page. For more details on how we produce our content and its sources, visit the About our health information section.
Back to top Menu. Smear test cervical screening. What is cervical screening? How healthy are you? Who needs to have cervical screening?
Cervical screening and pregnancy If you're pregnant and have previously had normal screening tests, you can probably postpone routine screening until three months after having your baby. Pros Around 3, women in the UK get cervical cancer every year. Screening can pick up changes in the cells of your cervix that could lead to cervical cancer in the future. Since the national cervical screening programme was introduced, the number of women dying from cervical cancer has halved.
Cervical screening saves about 4, lives every year in England. A screening test is the best way to find out if you have HPV. Having the HPV virus is the single biggest risk for developing cervical cancer. Cons Although screening is the best way to check the health of your cervix, it isn't perfect. If so, your result could say your cells are normal, when in fact you have some abnormal cells that could develop into cancer.
This is called a false negative. This is called a false positive result. Bile duct cancer. Bladder cancer. Cancer Statistics NSW. NSW Cancer Plan. Document library. Reduce your cancer risk. Preventing skin cancer. Quit smoking. Bowel cancer screening. Breast cancer screening. Cervical screening. Smoking Cessation Framework. Cancer screening toolkit. Noticing symptoms. Seeing a GP. Having tests. Seeing specialists. Understanding your diagnosis. Getting a second opinion. Navigating the health system.
Planning treatment. Types of treatment. Clinical trials. Side effects. Changes to treatment. Finishing treatment. Find a specialist or cancer service. Learn about cancer specialist centres. Cancer treatment protocols. Treatment information resources.
Telling other people. Physical wellbeing. The speculum holds the walls of your vagina apart so that your doctor can easily see your cervix. Inserting the speculum may cause a sensation of pressure in your pelvic area. Then your doctor will take samples of your cervical cells using a soft brush and a flat scraping device called a spatula. This usually doesn't hurt. Depending on the type of Pap testing you're undergoing, your doctor transfers the cell sample collected from your cervix into a container holding a special liquid to preserve the sample liquid-based Pap test or onto a glass slide conventional Pap smear.
The samples are transferred to a laboratory where they're examined under a microscope to look for characteristics in the cells that indicate cancer or a precancerous condition. If only normal cervical cells were discovered during your Pap smear, you're said to have a negative result. You won't need any further treatment or testing until you're due for your next Pap smear and pelvic exam. If abnormal or unusual cells were discovered during your Pap smear, you're said to have a positive result.
A positive result doesn't mean you have cervical cancer. What a positive result means depends on the type of cells discovered in your test. Squamous cells are thin and flat and grow on the surface of a healthy cervix. In the case of ASCUS, the Pap smear reveals slightly abnormal squamous cells, but the changes don't clearly suggest that precancerous cells are present.
With the liquid-based test, your doctor can reanalyze the sample to check for the presence of viruses known to promote the development of cancer, such as some types of human papillomavirus HPV. If no high-risk viruses are present, the abnormal cells found as a result of the test aren't of great concern. If worrisome viruses are present, you'll need further testing. Squamous intraepithelial lesion. This term is used to indicate that the cells collected from the Pap smear may be precancerous.
If the changes are low grade, it means the size, shape and other characteristics of the cells suggest that if a precancerous lesion is present, it's likely to be years away from becoming a cancer.
If the changes are high grade, there's a greater chance that the lesion may develop into cancer much sooner. Additional diagnostic testing is necessary. Atypical glandular cells. Glandular cells produce mucus and grow in the opening of your cervix and within your uterus. Atypical glandular cells may appear to be slightly abnormal, but it's unclear whether they're cancerous.
0コメント