how does a pap tell u if u have ovarian cancer? - Cancer: Uterine Message Board

hayley0610 · 10-16-2006, 11:38 PM

IM scheduled for a routine pap on fir and im very scared theyll tell me i have cancer! for no good reason at all!im 34 and my friends all seem to have come back pos for cancer cells and im worried ill be next! i have no sypmtoms i know of but im worried how i will handle the mental strtess if itspos. some of my friends have been told to come in 6 mths for a recheck to see if itas progressed whereas some need treatment right away! why? how can they tell how advanced it is and from doing a pap on the uterus how can they tell u have ovarian cancer?am i being paranoid for nothing?

browneyedsusie · 10-17-2006, 11:54 AM

Hayley
A pap smear will only tell you what is going on with the cervix, not the uterus and not the ovaries. Unfortunately it is common to have a pap smear showing pre cancerous cells known as dysplasia. This is a far cry from cancer. Some doctors will do a cone biopsy others a freezing technique. The wait and see for six months is usually because it came back a very low grade dysplasia. Every woman should have an annual pap smear. 8 years ago I tested positive for severe dysplasia and had a cone biopsy and have had good pap smears since. Even if it does come back showing something it is very easy to cure and that is why they ask woman to have them on a regular basis. Have you ever come in contact with HPV? This may increase your risk of an abnormal pap but it is easy to correct. All in all Don't Panic. They take 2 seconds and most come back normal but if it shouldn't it is something that can be fixed !!

westllen · 10-21-2006, 08:04 AM

Don't worry until you have something to worry about and even then, there are so many things that can be done. A positive attitude is so important.

Get your pap yearly. If it comes back questionable, the doctor will do biopsies depending on what they see. My uterine cancer was not found thru a pap either. There were other symptoms.

Are you having any symptoms??

browneyedsusie · 10-22-2006, 08:07 AM

Westlyn
May I ask what your symptoms were. I had a transvaginal us done and have to go for a second because of suspicious findings. May I ask your age when it happened . I am 43 and having a hard time coping with all this.
Thanks so much

westllen · 10-22-2006, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browneyedsusie

Westlyn
May I ask what your symptoms were. I had a transvaginal us done and have to go for a second because of suspicious findings. May I ask your age when it happened . I am 43 and having a hard time coping with all this.
Thanks so much

I was constantly bleeding. My lower abdomen was tender and had pressure all the time to unrinate. I had just goe maybe 6 months prior to my symptoms starting to get my gyno checkup. All was fine.

But about 6 months later I bleed for almost a month, sometimes alot, sometimes just spotting. When the cramping and bloating started I amde another appt with my gyno. Pap test came back with Cerivcal Cancer and my blood work was out of whack. I went in to have the hysterectomy that same week when they diagnosed the Uterine cancer. I was very lucky becauee I listened to my body and did my follow ups.

Keep me posted. Any info I can give I'd be happy to give.

Good luck