How are abnormal cervical cells and pre-cancers treated?
Abnormal cervical cells can be divided into “low-grade” and “high-grade” abnormalities. Low-grade changes are almost always benign or non-cancerous. Many women can have a low-grade lesion which will clear without causing any lasting effects. According to current Australian guidelines, if a woman’s Pap smear shows low-grade changes, her healthcare professional may advise a repeat Pap smear sooner than 2 years (usually after 6 or 12 months). Sometimes colposcopy (an examination of the cervix with a special microscope) may also be offered, either straight away or after the repeat Pap test, if it shows that the low grade changes are still present. While most high-grade changes will eventually go away, occasionally high-grade changes will progress to cervical cancer if left untreated. This usually takes a number of years, although in rare cases it can happen sooner. If a woman’s Pap smear shows high-grade, pre-cancerous changes she will be referred for a colposcopy. In many cases, during th
