CIN 1 and CIN 2

The first test came back normal but the others didnt

Thank you for your reply. I'm 32. I e had swabs taken at the gum to be sure so I'm not sure if they tested me though for that or not. But a year ago I started having abnormal bleeding. Brown blood, stringy painful discharge. So I went fir a smear and had it done at gum and it came back normal. Then 6 months ago I started getting headaches and abdominal pain. So they send me for a camera probe and it came back normal. Ultra sound came back normal. I see a specialist In two weeks but I'm really worried they've missed something and now it's been this long I'm scared that I might be untreatable. I left it a while to see if it would stop. Plus my doctor keep saying it could just be hormones. I know this isn't just hormones. Now I'm getting stabbing pains in my left kidney. I fell tender down bellow. I'm so sorry that your going through such an ordeal. What can they do? Also how long have you been going through this? Thanks for your messages x

Squamous metaplasia is the usual condition that is basically the changing of one cell structure to another one that are not cancerous or precancerous.  These are probably cells going through a reparitive phase maybe in the case of freshly acquired virus.  It will too cause an atypical cell reading (ASCUS) which should be just watched by repeat pap.  The fact is that metaplastic cell cytology can look exactly like that of dysplastic cell structure and be misdiagnosed as a possible dysplasia and can be confusing to the reader unless they're a very experienced cytologist.  Cin I and II can repair on their own much of the time and Cin III doesn't always move on to cancer.  Carcinoma in situ is not considered cancer here in the US and researchers now believe it may never progress to invasive but it's still being investigated.  That's why usually several cytologists view the samples but this is where I have a problem with the way paps are currently read.  It's becaues of the way the sample is taken also can cause problem.  If you get someone who is a bit too zealous with the brush type of test, it will capture cells that typically shouldn't be there anyway so the one viewing the sample doesn't quite know what they're looking at or where they came from such as in the case of someone who has a prolapsed uterus that sits down too close to the vagina where part of the endometrium could be inadvertantly sampled or in the case of a woman who has just given birth where endometrial cells will probably be present.  That would produce glandular cells from the endometrium which are not typical cervical cells.  The endometrium doesn't shed these of course so they will be marked "atypical glandular cells of unknown origin".  This will get you a call back for a colpo and all because your clinician got a bit too vigorous when taking the sample.  That's not to say something might not be wrong but 80% of the time these are from benign causes such as endometriosis, postmeno atrophy of the uterus or nothing at all.  It's that 20% that could capture something worth investigating. So because of that smaller percentage, we rely on the old smear test.  But you are correct in much of what you say about it being an outdated mode of testing. Cytologists perhaps need better training to keep up with these things.  And remember, a smear is not a diagnosis.  It cannot tell you if you have dysplasia or cancer for sure without a biopsy.  Smears can come back with cancer cells and it's only pre cancer and vice versa.  There are just so many variables to consider.

From reading your reply you are very intelligent and knowledgable i do agree with 99% of what you are saying.

However when in comes to endometriosis i do find people describe it as being "something and nothing" which i strongly disagree with. I have suffered for nearly 10 years with endometriosis and had 8 laproscopies aswell as many other treatments and still suffer now. Doctors were to lazy with myself and i feel did not carry out full investigations. When it came to having my 3rd laproscopy i had been suffering with all the usual symptoms the main ones been irregular heavy bleeding and severe pain to which they carried out the laproscopy a few weeks later i was still feeling very ill i went to my doctor who told me i was 22 weeks pregnant after being told i wouldnt have children i was just over 3 months pregnant when they operated.

I do believe with your reply you have been very imformative and is very reassuring for people to read

Hi thank you for your reply. I have had various cervical testing now i have had biopsies. I watched on the screen while the consultant carried out the colposcopy. She said i am going to insert a dye what we dont want to happen is it turn white. However large areas turned white and some a dense grey. The results came back CIN 1 and 2. I had treatment. I was called back later had another colpscopy same thing happen again and then same thing again and then again. I am due to go back in 3 months time. I am 29 years of age. No-one has mentioned HPV to myself. Thank you for the article

Anything on a smear test that isn't normal will be abnormal or "atypical".  This frightens a lot of women.  What would help is if we could do the smear, have the patient wait to get an all clear or not and then if there was something suspicious, could be addressed right there.  Getting a positive HPV along with an abnormal reading helps.