It is amazing the things we learn over time. Especially when that time seems to pass so slowly while waiting for pathology reports and doctors' offices returning phone calls.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiggy44  I just read today in a popular womens mag it said if your hpv is positive and pap is negative you are at low risk for cervical cancer. any truth there? |
While it is true that paps catch *most* cervical changes, they don't catch all cervical changes. It is true that many of the women who get cervical cancer have not been regular with their paps and/or have had a history of bad paps. , but not all women.
BUT (and I can't emphasize that enough) . . . BUT . . . the pap doesn't catch all cervical changes. The pap only catches cervical changes that are detected in the locations of the cervix that the doctor swabs. The doctor doesn't swab all of the cervix. They don't usually swab all of the exocervix (which is only the outer 1/3 of the cervix).
Atypical glandular cells which can result in adenocarcinoma in situ or adenocarcinoma typically are found in women who have had regular paps, no real history of bad paps, and frequently are in long-term monogamous relationships.
So . . . something *I've* learned in the last year is that every woman needs to keep regular with her paps, even if she isn't sexually active; if a woman is 30 or older she needs to keep regular with her paps and ask for the HPV/dna test. If a woman is given a colposcopy (especially if she has a history of good paps), then I highly recommend those women ask for an ECC so the doctor can check the endocervical canal.
Anyway, a positive attitude and someone to talk to are vital to making it through this journey! Thank you for sharing what you've learned (and letting me toss in my 2 cents worth!).
She didnt seem too concerned about me telling her i was diagnosed with high risk hpv. She wanted to test me again, my last hpv test was in feb 08. But i told her i will wait to see how my pap result comes out, if normal i will not have to go back for a yr, and we will do the hpv then. I already had a biopsy and colposcopy, all normal. I just read today in a popular womens mag it said if your hpv is positive and pap is negative you are at low risk for cervical cancer. any truth there? must be it was a statement made by a group of drs. They however didnt mention anything about women who smoke. Mostly about women who never get paps, or havent gone for five yrs, so i suggest go for your pap. Also good news ladies, they said cervical cancer when caught in very eraly stages is the easiet type of cancer to treat,. So from all i have learned over the past yr, take a multivitamin , eat antioxidant foods, go for your paps. and try to relax. hpv is the most common std out there. hpv doesnt mean you will have cancer. great advice someone gave me.
