Many women have no idea what a colposcopy is when one is advised by their physician. Nobody wants to hear that their pap test is “abnormal.”
It’s not unusual for women to focus so much on the word “abnormal” to the point they forget to ask their healthcare provider questions about the colposcopy procedure itself.
In fact, it’s quite normal for women to be concerned and nervous about medical tests that could potentially confirm a devastating diagnosis of cervical cancer.
Colposcopy is a common and pretty straight forward procedure. The more you know about what to expect, the less you tend to worry and to become anxious.
A colposcopy uses magnification so that your physician is able to view the vagina and the cervix. With a highly magnified view, your doctor is able to see if there are any abnormal areas in your cervix. Changes in the cervix can lead to cervical cancer in some cases, so early detection is extremely valuable.
It is important to note an abnormal result of a Pap test unrelated to cervical cancer can be due to viral infections such as HPV, or natural cervical cell changes related to menopause.
Take a breath and know that an abnormal pap test does not mean you have or are getting cervical cancer. So far, you’ve simply had an abnormal result to a Pap test.
Colposcopy doesn’t hurt and is performed relatively quickly. The colposcope, which looks like a pair of binoculars, does not come in contact with you. It does however allow your physician to see problems missed by just the naked eye.
During colposcopy, if your physician sees anything questionable, you will be advised at the time and a biopsy of the tissue will be taken and examined by a specialist.
Biopsy is not painful. You can expect it to feel like a pinch. Sometimes more than one biopsy is taken. Your physician is looking for any of the following:
- Unusual blood vessel appearance
- Swollen areas or, worn or wasted away areas
- Polyps
- Warts
- Whitish appearing spots.
If anything listed above is seen, you will be advised.
A normal result of a biopsy indicates no cancer and no abnormal changes were seen.
Abnormal biopsy results may indicate cervical cancer or changes in the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer.
These changes are called dysplasia, or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and have 3 designation levels:
- CIN I = mild
- CIN II = moderate
- CIN II = severe dysplasia or very early cervical cancer called carcinoma in situ
While cervical cancer is one of the reasons for an abnormal biopsy result, others include:
- Cervical warts (infection with human papilloma virus, or HPV)
- CIN (precancerous tissue changes that are also called cervical dysplasia)
Cervical cancer is highly preventable because screening tests and a vaccine to prevent HPV infections are available. When cervical cancer is detected early, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life.
Learn more about Understanding HPV & Preventing Cervical Cancer.
