Smear results abnormal

Hi,

I'm just looking for people's experiences with diagnosis for cervical cancer. 
 

I'm 34 had smear which indicated HPV and high grade severe dyskaryosis. I am awaiting a colposcopy for further investigation. Stupidly this is my first smear as I put it off because I didn't think cancer would happen to me until it did.
 

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, had a mastectomy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy, my last scan didn't detect any cancer present in my breast/chest wall. 
 

I have convinced myself it's cancer again, the wait is unbearable. 

 

 

  • Hi Sammac26

    First of all, I am glad to hear that your most recent breast scan went well and that there is no cancer present there :)

    With regards to the smear results here is my experience;

    I had abnormal cells on a smear test (this was a few years ago so before the did the HPV test), so a couple of weeks later I had to go in for a colposcopy. I have to admit, it wasn't the most comfortable of things but not the worst either, the worst bit was the injection into cervix to numb it, but after that when they did the 'loop' to remove the cells, it just felt like a bit of period cramps really. I would say it took around 20-30 mins including the time it took to wait for the site to become numb. I had the results a little while later (not sure how long it took) and found that they were CIN2 cells, so could have turned into cancer if left. I had to go back 6 months later, all was clear and since then it has just been every 3 years as normal.

    So for me it all turned out absolutely fine, and cemented the importance of the regular smears are and I am such an advocate for them now if my friends say they haven't been etc I always tell them how if I hadn't gone to that one then those cells could have turned cancerous. So I am so glad that you decided to go and I am sure that it will turn out to be absolutely fine! 

    The waiting is horrible - I am currently waiting for a breast ultrasound, 17 weeks pregnant and got a lump and been told that wait time for even urgent referral in Wales is 10 weeks rather than the usual 2 so I feel you on the waiting :(

    But fingers crossed yours comes through quickly and all is well and they just need to remove them :) x

  • Hi Sammac

    it must be very worrying to have any sort of abnormal result when you have had a cancer diagnosis in the past but please try not to let your mind run away with itself at this point. Dyskariosis isn’t cancer, it’s pre cancerous cells, and hopefully the colposcopy will put your mind at rest when they do a more detailed examination and take some biopsies. Please don’t assume you have cancer at this point, because dyskariosis can be treated successfully.