Cervical screening:your results explained

Updated guidance

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