General Chat

Hi Janey, nice to see you posting. I had forgotten about that thread from before. As you say, we have been there and got the tshirt etc.

Helen, I hope things move quickly so your daughter can get things done if necessary and put it all behind her, except for any more frequent check ups for a while.

Lizxx

Hello Janey, thank-you for your very positive comments, I am feeling much better.

My daughter is much more upbeat, which is very important to me. Hopefully all will be well.


xxx

Helen, when I first saw your thread a few days ago I went looking for one from a few months ago I thought might help, but it seems to be gone.

Quite a lot of us who had been through this had posted our experiences -- Purple was one, I was another. I too had a colposcopy, and then a cone biopsy, and that was, oh, 25 years ago. The cone biopsy in my case was probably 'unnecessary' -- it seems the microscopic lesions found and removed in the coloposcopy were all there was -- but I'll go with better safe than sorry every time.

My doc had recently been burned by a case in which a 'wait and see' approach had been taken, and the situation had progressed rapidly to much worse. I think that most abnormal results will now result in one of those 'urgent' messages. It's important to get on it right away.

This is the whole reason they tell us to get our smears -- so things can be caught at very early stages. And the smears do catch things, for a lot of us.

Then they do what they have to do, and that means we don't end up with cervical cancer and much worse outcomes. This is why the death rate from cervical cancer has gone down so much in recent years. Because we get our smears -- *and* we get done what has to be done.

It's probably something we all need to be told more. Getting the smear isn't magic protection against disease. ;) It finds disease in early stages, and we get treated, and in the vast majority of cases we're just fine then.

So your daughter is on the right track, and the odds, at least, are extremely good for her. It ain't a picnic, but the voices of experience are here to say it usually does have good outcomes -- so chin up and best wishes to you and your daughter.

Hello Sandra and Liz, your comments have been really helpful. Thank-you.

My daughter seems very calm, has been to her new doctors' surgery who seem to know what's going on, thank goodness, and is waiting for a hospital appointment. As I said before she works for a private health company which may speed things up but will cost her a fortune in excess. Either way, I do feel she is being looked after.

And from all your positive comments I am hopeful this will be just a hiccup in her life.

Thank-you for all your help.

Helen :(( )) (trying hard to be positive)

Hi

I would like to say my family have been there & still are, try not to worry to much, though this is easy to say. I had cervical cancer when i was 29, i had to have a hysterectomy & cervix removal, but i had had my children so consider myself lucky. & i'm now 47.
My eldest daughter was 16 when she had to have laser treament, now she is 31 with her 3rd baby on the way.
My youngest daughter is just 21 & is desperately waiting for her 3rd lot of results, she had her coloscopy 5 weeks ago. She has been told it will be another couple of weeks as so many young girls are being tested.
We had to fight last year for her to have a smear test as the doctors said she was to young. Even with our family history. My sister & 2 of my nieces have also had the abnormal cells as well, Sister like me hysterectomy, my 2 nieces were both 18 & are now clear.
I really hope this injection that is offered to young girls now to prevent cervical cancer works.
Anyway you have my support & i hope it all turns out well.

For those who don't know what this entails:
Colposcopy is a medical diagnostic procedure to examine an illuminated, magnified view of the cervix and the tissues of the vagina and vulva. Many premalignant lesions and malignant lesions in these areas have discernible characteristics which can be detected through the examination. It is done using a colposcope, which provides an enlarged view of the areas, allowing the colposcopist to visually distinguish normal from abnormal appearing tissue and take directed biopsies for further pathological examination. The main goal of colposcopy is to prevent cervical cancer by detecting precancerous lesions early and treating them. The procedure was developed in 1925 by the German physician Hans Hinselmann.


I do hope all will be well with your daughter, she is lucky to be so thoroughly checked out.

Lizx

Hi everyone, thanks for your very kind support.

My daughter has to go for a colposcopy and is getting this sorted on Monday. To complicate things, she has just moved and is changing doctors - I told her to be on the ball about this so she is seeing her new doctor on Monday.

She is a lot calmer and is enjoying the attention from friends and family - just have to tell her Dad now.

Your comments have really helped, thank-you.

I had a cone biopsy in the very early 80s and after several checkups every few months, the time between gradually lengthened and here I am nearly 30 yrs on and fine. Having said that I am overdue for a smear test so must make the effort, I have mine done at the Family Planning clinic as my doctor isn't very good at doing them.
I am sure it will be a similar thing for your daughter, at worst a laser or cone biopsy, and then just regular check ups.
Wish her luck, the worrying is always so hard.

Lizx

My eldest daughter is a Senior Biomedical Scientist which is a fancy name but her job is to screen Cervical Smears. When another of my daughters was told something similar (abnormal result) the first thing she did was to ring her eldest sister for advice.
She was told that its alot to do with `over caution` these days and 98% of recalls are due to other reasons eg talcum powder being used or thrush or similar things. Most times on being given a second or third test it often has gone back to normal findings.
Hope that all goes well for your daughter.


Love and Peace
Marianne x

goodnight helen try not worry though know you will i do with my daughter and she 28 they are still our babies

Thank-you so much to everyone. I will update this tthread tomorrow when we have heard. I really appreciate your support.

Goodnight all.

hi helen hope whatever it is all goes well and she gets sorted

Harpstrings, thank-you for your comments.

I said as much to her. At any rate, whatever it is is needs sorting straightaway.

Thank-you Poppy, Helen and Amanda.

I hope it will be something simple. She lives about 100 miles from me and I said if she wishes I will be there for her to see consultants, etc. Haven't told her dad as he would panic.. I wondered about Chlamidia, etc??? I really don't know enough about any of it.

I told her that, if she can' t get hold of a nurse first thing tomorrow, to insist on a doctor's appointment. She works for a private health company so at least she has options.

I am holding my breath until tomorrow.

Perhaps it may be that the smear was not taken properly or enough cells gathered to make a proper examination and therefore they need to take another.

They may have found some abnormal cells, which may turn cancerous if not treated. Your daughter may just need to have some laser treatment to get rid of the abnormal cells. I thnk thats what they do any way - I am no medic or nurse.

Harpstrings x

EDIT: Well I think PollyP has a better and more thorough explanation.

Hello Helen..........I hope that your daughter is ok. I have a daughter in much the same situation but I don't think she went for the third smear.......I shall have to chase her up about it !

I'll keep my fingers crossed that your daughter gets an all clear.

Amanda

My daughter is 26 and has had a few dodgy results.Has had a colposcopy and cone biopsy done about 3 years ago.Everything is fine but she has to go for yearly test.It is most likely just abnormal cells .
It is a worry ,but don't think the worst !!!!!
Helen x

hi helen hope this doesnt offend but this might help explain

What is Seen in a Normal Smear?

A normal smear will have a sample of the cells from the area of the cervix known as the transformation zone. This is where the soft lining of the inner cervix meets the toughened lining of the outer cervix which sits in the vagina. The transformation zone is where changes which might lead to cancer first occur. After the doctor or nurse has taken the smear, they will wipe the brush or spatula onto a glass slide, ready for reading by the pathologist.


What is Meant by an 'Unsatisfactory' Smear?

This result means that the pathologist could not satisfy himself that he has a good sample from the cervix. This might be because of too much blood or mucous being present, contamination by foreign material or inflammatory cells indicating a reaction by the body to infection or trauma.
The pathologist might feel that there was not enough of the transformation zone sampled to be able to reassure you fully. In any case, it is unlikely to mean a cancerous or precancer finding. If you have several unsatisfactory smears, the pathologist may suggest referral to the hospital to see why this is happening.


How Common is it to Have an Abnormal Smear Result?

Currently in the UK, 1-2% of women aged 25-35 years will have an abnormal smear. It is most common within this age group, being extremely rare before the age of 15 years and falling off to 0.5-1% after 40 years.


Does Having an Abnormal Smear Mean That I may get Cervical Cancer?

The degree of abnormality reported by the pathologist is important in answering this question and deciding the cancer potential of a smear. The smear is graded as being mildly, moderately or severely abnormal. A single 'mildly abnormal' smear is unlikely to represent significant short-term risk and the underlying changes may well regress to normal.
Defining percentages of smears which, left untreated, will progress to cancer is difficult since when looking at populations we do treat abnormal smears, and even the sampling process, to see what is present, may alter the progress. About 30-60% of untreated moderate or severely abnormal smears will progress to cancer over a period of about 10 years. Over the subsequent 10 years it is estimated that one-third of these cancers might become invasive with the potential for serious harm or death, if not treated.

Since the abnormal cells have been picked up on the smear test, further investigation and treatment will stop this progression. This is why the majority of cervical cancers occur in women who have not participated in the National Screening Programme.


What About a Mildly Abnormal Smear?

Changes on the cervix associated with a mildly abnormal smear often regress, and the smear becomes normal again. Rather than refer you to the hospital straight away, it is common to repeat the smear in a few months time. If the mildly abnormal cells persist, further investigation is warranted to ensure that something more sinister is not being missed.

Thanks, Poppy, that's what I said to her. Hope it's ok.

hi it could be abnormal cells doesnt mean they are cancerous so try not to worry to much know thats easy to say