Hello! I had an ASC-US abnormal pap smear 1 year after LEEP. The pap smear 6 months after the procedure was perfectly normal, however the one at one year was ASC-US -- but HPV was not detected. My Dr. said that, because the HPV was not detected, a repeat pap should be done in 6 months. Is this good advice, given my history? Should I be worried about the ASC-US pap if the HPV wasn't detected upon testing. There are also a couple of other factors involved. The pap was done at the very tail end of my period, and my husband and I had had intercourse during the two days before the pap (sorry about the TMI!). My doctor said that these things may very well have caused the abnormal pap. However, my husband and I have just started trying to conceive and I really took it hard when I had to have the LEEP. I would appreciate any and all comments...
Re: ASC-US Pap 1 year after LEEP - HPV not detected
Hi! I can't really offer you any answers, but I'm kind of in the same boat and understand how you feel. Last year I was DX with AIS and had a Leep Cone Biopsy in September. My 3 & 6 month paps were fine, but my 9 month has come back ASCUS HPV negative. The nurse who called to give me the results said that since HPV was not detected, that I would just come back in 3 months for my 1 year pap. She made it sound as if my doctor was happy that there was no HPV and confident that no immediate action needed to be taken.
With my history, of course I'm over cautious and worried about this too. I understand that this is the normal course of action for a first time diagnosis of ASCUS, but is it the same for someone who has already had Leep? Plus, my original abnormality was glandular cells, not squamous so I'd like to know if these new pap results are related to my previous condition or are they just a coincidence? Like you, I was just a few days off my period and I believe that there may have been intercourse within a day or 2 of my pap.
Re: ASC-US Pap 1 year after LEEP - HPV not detected
Good luck on your upcoming pap!! I'm going to go with thinking that it's a very good sign that the HPV test was negative. From what my doctor said and what I have read, if there is no HPV, then there is likely no pre-cancerous changes. And the HPV test is much more accurate than a pap. Also, I just learned that anything you put in your vagina during the 48 hours before your pap can cause it to come back ASC-US. It is very scary, though, especially with our history. However, my first abnormal pap -- the one that led to the LEEP -- was accompanied by an identification of high-risk HPV. Good luck to you and thanks for the reply. It is so hard to stay calm!
Re: ASC-US Pap 1 year after LEEP - HPV not detected
Hi there. I'm in a similiar boat but not as far along as you girls. I had my first abnormal pap in June of 07- ASCUS and neg HPV. Repeat at 3 mos- same results. Repeat at 6 mos- same results. Colpo showed no dysplasia and no HPV. So I am due for another in October. Like your Dr., my Dr. is "encouraged" by the negative HPV. She was so "encouraged" after just one HPV test though. It wasn't until after the third that she was confident HPV was not present...apparently it can be evasive sometimes. So...here I wait...and hope...and pray that October is NORMAL. That said, the majority of abnormalities and cancer are accompanied by HPV so when it is absent, Dr's feel better. One important note though. Chances are your Dr's tested you for High Risk HPV and not low risk. It's possible that we are positive for low risk which can also cause abnormalities (ASCUS and CIN I). These changes though are not thought to progress to CIN II, III or Cancer which is why they usually don't test for low risk. Hope this helps.
