Smear test - irregular cells

Redpunto

Got call from doc today saying they found some abnormal cells and to come back to repeat the test in 6 months - should i be worried. The doc was trying to put my mind at ease but its still worrying. Should i go back sooner than the 6 months or would that make any difference.

Femelade

I got the same letter.
I dont think they would have you wait 6 months for another smear if they felt there was something wrong.

xzanti

Snap, I got 2 letters at the same time, on my Birthday too , one was from my Surgery and one from the Test people themselves so that put the sh1ts up me a bit but when I called the Surgery they assured me that it was fairly common and that's what these tests are for, to monitor any changes.. they said I have CIN1 cells which are the least sinister aparently.. Try not to worry, at least we know about it now.. That's the main thing

springo

They'd refer you to the hospital for further investigation/treatment if it was something to be concerned about. They just want to monitor the cells and often enough they'll go back to normal within 6 months. Could be for any number of reasons that the cells aren't normal.

Good on you for getting yourself checked out. I know some who still won't go.

Redpunto

Cheers thanks guys - when i thought about it a bit a guessed if there was anything that wrong that theyd get ya in asap. I get to have two in 1 year, i must be special:p

jvr

Hi I dont meant to worry you but I had CIN II diagnosed in Nov.06 and got called in for colposcopy in december where they did a biopsy and the doctor said by just looking at me it looked like it had progressed to CIN III and he wanted me in immediately the following week for a LETZ (dunno if i spelt it right )treatment and sure enough the results came back that it had progressed to CIN III and I was lucky to get treated so quickly. This was in Sligo General Hosp. I dunno if it may take a longer time for abnormal cells be they borderline or at the CIN I stage take a long time to progress to a higher grade but mine did within the space of a month...in saying that your smear test results are only as good as the person taking a respresentative sample and maybe CIN III should have shown up in my smear test initially? I've had clear smear results since but I've started to bleed between periods so I asked the doctor to do another smear but she says that because of this cervical check programme (free smears every 3 years) I'm on that it doesnt cover me for having them outside of the programmes recomendations and I'm faced with a €90 bill of gettin it done tomorrow as a company called Quest Diagnostics in the US have the monoploy on analysing the smears so basically you are paying extra for the outsourcing of analysing the tests which is sooooo ridiculus...It's kinda scary to think that you are depending on one company (who have been known to be contraversial )(my spellings really bad i know) to give you results that can be life changing to people.....

Gazza22

Your smear has been classed CIN1, it's not a diagnosis but the lab has noticed that there is a small number of cells on your smear that have the potential to develop further but will more than likely return to normal within the six month time frame. Basically they are not growing into mature cells quick enough but are more than likely just 'late bloomers'. It is only if you are still classed at CIN1 in six months time, you will be referred. If you were CIN2 onwards, you would be told straight away.

Cytology which analyses smears, is one of the hardest disciplines in the med lab and renowed for not being as accurate as the other diciplines because the changes in the cells are extremely subtle. False negatives and positives are quite common and CIN1 is in most cases always turns out to be normal.

It is perfectly natural to worried when you get a result like this back! To be honest i wouldn't worry. I know this is easier said than done when it is your health so if it starts affecting your mental health and you would like to play it safe perhaps invest in a smear at perhaps three months from now? There is always the risk it can progress within the six months as in jvr's case but it is very rare.

ciagr297

Redpunto wrote: »

Got call from doc today saying they found some abnormal cells and to come back to repeat the test in 6 months - should i be worried. The doc was trying to put my mind at ease but its still worrying. Should i go back sooner than the 6 months or would that make any difference.

if it puts your mind at rest, organise another one soon.

i had to get a colposcopy a few weeks ago in Holles St cause my smears keep showing up CIN 1, every single time! but when they did the biopsy it was fine, so they are just strictly monitoring.
i have an "interesting" medical background, so i have to get one done every six months. i have come to the realisation its easier to accept this and just do it than stress myself out in avoidance tactics but thats just me

try to just get it repeated and put it to one side until you get results. at the end of the day there is nothing you can do until you have a result

On the topic of abnormal cells, has this happened to anyone else?

My first two smears came back 'inflammatory' meaning they couldn't really see properly what was going on (was checked for infections etc, all clear) and I was referred to a colposcopy clinic. The consultant, based on visual inspection, told me I had some very mild changes, milder than most people who end up at the clinic, and told me to come back in 6 months. I went back and it was much better, that time he took a repear smear and it came back......normal! Went back for the third time and it was slightly worse again and he advised me to get the Lletz treatment. I said I'd rather wait and see if it got any worse. At that time he took another smear and it came back normal again. Is this strange? I've never actually had anything come back with CIN 1, 2, or anything, it's all based on the appearance. Any swabs that have been taken have come back normal.

Lobelia Overhill

ciagr297 wrote: »

if it puts your mind at rest, organise another one soon.

I was told there was no point having another smear sooner than 6 months.

ciagr297

Lobelia Overhill wrote: »

I was told there was no point having another smear sooner than 6 months.

oh i forgot about that. well i guess if it hasn't been scheduled already make sure you do in 6 months.
i'm booked for another in july....yucky! :rolleyes: