An abnormal Pap smear result indicates the presence of atypical cells in your cervix. This is most commonly a signal of an infection with human papillomavirus. It rarely means that you have cancer.
An abnormal Pap smear result only indicates that a more detailed examination, closer monitoring, or a minor, localized treatment is needed to prevent precancerous cells from growing.
Common Abnormal Results
Based on the abnormalities found in the cervical cells, there are several types of abnormal results, which give varying indications. They include:
- ASC-US (Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance): This is when mild and unclear changes appear on the cervical surface cells. This result doesn’t indicate any disease or infection, but it signals that follow-up testing is required. This is the most common abnormal result and is often followed by an HPV test or a follow-up Pap smear.
- LSIL (Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion): This result shows early changes in the cervical cells, which are typically a result of HPV infection. Although it requires monitoring, the cells often resolve the infection and recover on their own.
- HSIL (High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion): This is a more serious case. This result indicates a more severe level of changes or abnormalities in the cervical cells. This signals a higher risk of developing cervical cancer and requires immediate follow-up along with necessary additional testing like a colposcopy.
- Atypical Squamous Cells, cannot exclude High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (ASC-H): In this result, some abnormal squamous cells are found with the possibility that they may be high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). Follow-up tests such as a colposcopy will be performed to rule out the risk.
- AGC (Atypical Glandular Cells): This result indicates abnormal changes in the glandular cells of the cervix or uterus, which line the endocervical canal and produce mucus. This result signals a higher risk of underlying precancerous cells or a malignant condition. It requires immediate and thorough diagnostic evaluation. It is typically followed by a combination of procedures, including colposcopy, endocervical curettage (ECC), endometrial biopsy, and HPV testing.
- Adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS): This result shows an area of abnormal growth (advanced lesion) in the glandular tissue of the cervix. This is called a precancer, which can develop into cervical cancer (cervical adenocarcinoma) without adequate treatment. This is most likely to be followed by a colposcopy for further diagnostics.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma or Adenocarcinoma: This result signals the presence of cancer cells in the cervix. It is very rare for people who do regular screenings. This will be followed by a biopsy. If it confirms the presence of cancer, further tests will be done to find out whether the cancer cells have spread within the cervical area or to other parts of your body.
An abnormal result is not a diagnosis of cervical cancer. It is only a screening for changes in the cervical cells. These abnormalities are most often a result of underlying inflammation, but they necessitate further follow-up and investigation to reduce the risk of cervical cancer through accurate diagnosis and appropriate clinical management.
Conclusion
Although an abnormal Pap smear can be worrisome, it proves how important it is to conduct a Pap smear at regular intervals. It is often a lifesaving screening tool that helps to find abnormalities much earlier, allowing your healthcare provider to prevent the abnormal cells from gaining any chance to become cancerous through timely intervention and adequate treatment.
Remember that an abnormal Pap result is not proof that you have cervical cancer. If your Pap result turned out to be abnormal, there will be follow-up tests like colposcopy and additional tests to find out the cause of the abnormality. In most cases, it can be just an HPV infection, pregnancy-related inflammation, or other reasons, which can be reversed. Since Pap smear can find early possibilities of cancer or precancer and facilitate prevention and early medical intervention, females above 21 must get their Pap smear done at regular intervals.
Frequently Asked Questions
An abnormal Pap smear result only means that the cells on your cervix look unnatural under a microscope. It can indicate a common infection, like yeast or HPV (Human Papillomavirus), or, very rarely, cervical cancer.
One of the most common abnormalities found in a Pap smear result is ASC-US (Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance). It indicates the unnatural appearance of the cells from the cervix, usually signaling an HPV infection.
The next step after an abnormal Pap smear depends on the nature of the abnormality, your age, medical history, and typically includes a colposcopy for a more detailed examination of the cervix.
Yes. This mostly happens in the case of people who got infected with human papillomavirus (HPV). Once the patient’s immune system fights back the infection, the abnormal cells usually get replaced with normal cells.
References
- Pap Smear
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4267-pap-smear - HPV and Pap Test Results: Next Steps after an Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Test
https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/screening/abnormal-hpv-pap-test-results
