cervical screening: your results explained · cervical screening test which is designed to ... my...
TRANSCRIPT
Thisleafletwillexplaintheresultsofyourcervicalscreeningtestwhichisdesignedtopickupanychangesincellsonthecervix(lowerpartofthewomb)sotheycanbe
easilyandeffectivelymonitoredortreated.
What causes these changes?
Mostchangesarecausedbythehumanpapillomavirus(HPV)whichcandamagethecellsonthecervix.HPVismainlyspreadbyskin-to-skincontactduringsexualactivity.Thereareusuallynosymptomssopeopledon’tevenknowtheyhaveit.
Therearemorethan100differenttypesofHPV.Mostareharmlessbutasmallnumberof‘highrisk’typesareknowntocausecancer.Thebody’simmunesystemwillusuallyfightthemoffnaturally,butiftheviruspersistsitcandamagethecellsofthecervix.
My result has come back as ‘normal’ – what does this mean?
Morethan90outofevery100womenscreenedgetanormalresult.Thismeansthatyourcellsshowednoabnormalchanges.Youwillbeinvitedforscreeningagaininthreeyearsifyou’reaged25–49,orfiveyearsifyou’rebetween50and64.
What does the result ‘inadequate’ mean?
Thismeansthattherewerenotenoughcellsinthesample.Thisisnotunusualandoccursinabout3inevery100tests.Youwillbeaskedbackforarepeattestinthreemonths.
I’ve received an ‘abnormal result’ – what does this mean?
Thismeansthatchangeshavebeenfoundinyourcells.Thishappensinabout7inevery100womenscreened.Whathappensnextwilldependonwhetheryourchangesaremild,moderateorsevere.Yourdoctorornursewillexplainthistoyouindetail.
I have mild or borderline changes – what now?
Thisisnotcancerandinmostcasesdoesnotleadtocancer.ThesampleyousubmittedforcervicalscreeningwillalsobetestedforHPV.Youwillnotneedtosubmitanothersample.
• IfHPVisfound,youwillbereferredforamoredetailed examinationofthecervixcalledacolposcopy.
• IfHPVisnotfound,yourriskofcancerisextremelysmalland youwillnotneedanyfurtherfollow-upatthistime.Youwillbe invitedforscreeningagaininthreeorfiveyearstime.
I have moderate or severe changes – what happens next?
Itisstillunlikelythatthisiscancer.Todecidewhetherornotyouneedtreatment,acolposcopywillbecarriedout.Anytreatmentyoumayrequireisusuallysimpleandiscarriedoutunderalocal
anaestheticasanoutpatientatyourlocalhospital.Itisimportantthatthesechangesarecheckedandtreatednowtoavoidthembecomingmoreseriousinthefuture.
What is a colposcopy?
Acolposcopyisasimpleexaminationofthecervixusingacolposcope(atypeofmagnifyingglass).Itletsthedoctororspecialistnurselookmorecloselyatthechangesonyourcervixtodecideifyouneedtreatment.Theexaminationissimilartothescreeningtest.
Colposcopycanbedonesafelyduringpregnancyandwillnotaffectdeliveryofyourbaby,oryourabilitytogetpregnantinthefuture.
What about treatment?
Treatmentinvolvesremovingtheareaofaffectedcellsfromthecervixandtheprocessisnearlyalwayssuccessful.Thechoiceoftreatmentandanyrisksinvolvedwillbediscussedwithyouindetailattheclinic.Insomecasesyoumaybeaskedtocomebacktotheclinicforfurthercolposcopyexaminations.
Aroundsixmonthsaftertreatmentyouwillbeofferedcervicalscreeningagaintocheckthatyourtreatmenthasbeensuccessful.Ifyourresultisnormalorshowsmildorborderlinechanges,yoursamplewillbetestedforHPV.Thisisknownasthetest of cure.IfthistestcomesbacknegativeforHPV,youwillbeatverylowriskofongoingcervicaldiseaseatthatpointintime,butitwillbeimportantthatyouattendforscreeningagaininthreeyearstime.
Ifthecervicalscreeningresultshowsmoderateorseverechanges,oriftheHPVtestcomesbackpositive,youwillbereferredforanothercolposcopy.
Intheunlikelyeventthatyoudohavecervicalcancer,youwillbereferredtotheappropriatespecialistsandservices.
What about sex and pregnancy?
Thehormonesproducedduringpregnancymaketreatmentmoredifficult.Ifyou’renotalreadypregnant,it’simportantnottobecomepregnantuntilthecellchangesaredealtwith.
Sexdoesnotworsencellchangesandyoucannotpassonaffectedabnormalcellstoyourpartner,butyoushoulduseaneffectivecontraception.
08/12
www.cancerscreening.hscni.net
Further information
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcernsaboutyourscreeningresult,youcanspeaktoyourGPorthepersonwhocarriedoutyourtest.MakesureyourGPalwayshasyourcurrentaddress.
ProducedbythePublicHealthAgency,12–22LinenhallStreet,BelfastBT28BS.Tel:02890321313.www.publichealth.hscni.net