Pap Smear is a screening method for cervical cancer. It checks for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on your cervix (opening of the uterus). During a routine procedure, cells from your cervix are gently scraped and checked for abnormal growth. It can be a little uncomfortable but usually doesn't cause long-term pain.
Cervical cancer is a kind of cancer that forms in the uterus's lower part cells. The cervix is the name given to this area. The cervix binds the uterus to the vagina and is small and narrow. It serves as a pathway for sperm to enter the uterus. The cervix acts as an exit point from the uterus for monthly menstrual blood flow or the delivery of a baby. The cervix is divided into two sections and contains two types of cells:
• Endocervix
This is the innermost part of the cervix. It makes a "tunnel" leading from the uterus to the vagina. It contains tall columnar cells that secrete mucus.
• Exocervix
This is the outer part of the cervix that protrudes into the vagina. Exocervix contains squamous cells, which look like fish scales under a microscope. These two cell types meet where most cervical cancers and precancerous cells form.
What is Pap Smear?
The Pap test detects abnormal cell changes in your cervix. How often you have a Pap test depends on your age, medical history, and the results of your most recent Pap or HPV test. The Pap test is used to filter for cervical cancer.
The Papanicolaou test is usually done along with a pelvic exam. In women over 30, a Pap test can be combined with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV), a standard sexually communicated infection that can cause cervical cancer. An HPV test can be done instead of a Pap test.
HPV is a virus that provokes warts and boosts the risk of cervical cancer. HPV kinds 16 and 18 are the leading reasons of cervical cancer. If you have HPV, you are at an increased risk of developing cervical cancer.
Women over 65 with a history of average Pap smear results can stop having this test in the future. You should always have regular age-appropriate Pap tests, regardless of your sexual activity status. The HPV virus may not work for many years, then suddenly operate.
What happens during Pap Smear, and how often should one do it?
Doctors usually perform a Pap test during a pelvic exam. They insert a speculum tool into the vagina to examine the cervix. They then take a sample of cervical cells with a brush or spoon and send them for testing.
It is suggested not to have a Pap test during the period, especially if you have heavy bleeding, as this may affect the results. A person should not bathe or put anything in the vagina to clean it before the test. Doctors do not recommend washing at any time.
Doctors generally recommend having a Pap test repeated every three years for women between the ages of 21 and 65. Women age 30 and older may consider a Pap test every five years if the procedure is available. Combined with an HPV test. Or they may consider an HPV test instead of a Pap test. The doctor may recommend more frequent Pap tests if you have certain risk factors, regardless of the age. Here are some risk factors enlisted by our experts from the Best Gynecology Hospital in Nashik:
- A diagnosis of cervical cancer showing precancerous cells
- Prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES)
- HIV infection
- Weakened immune system due to organ transplants, chemotherapy, or chronic corticosteroid use
- Smoking history
The doctor can examine the benefits and risks of a Pap test and decide what is best based on the risk factors.
What does a result of a smear spread mean?
There are two possible results of a PAP cell state the best gynecologist in Nashik: Normal or abnormal.
• Normal Pap smear
If your result is normal, no abnormal cells have been identified. Normal results are sometimes called negative. If your result is normal, perhaps you don't need a cell spread for three years.
• Abnormal Pap smear
If the test result is unusual, that doesn't mean you have cancer. This means that there are individual cells on your uterus collar, some of which can be counted. There are multiple levels of the abnormal cells such as:
- mild
- atypia
- severe dysplasia
- moderate
- carcinoma in situ
Mild abnormal cells are more common than severe abnormalities. Depending on what your test results indicate, your doctor may recommend the following:
a) Increase the frequency of Papanicolaou stain specimens
b) A detailed examination of the cervical tissue using a procedure called colposcopy. (In a colposcopy, doctors use light and magnification to see the tissue in the vagina and cervix more clearly. In some cases, a biopsy procedure may be taken to sample the cervical tissue.)
Who might consider stopping the Pap smear?
A woman and the doctor may decide to stop having a Pap test in some situations. After a total hysterectomy — surgery to remove the uterus, including the cervix — ask your doctor if you should continue to have Pap tests. If your hysterectomy was done for a noncancerous condition, such as fibroids, you might be able to stop the routine Pap smear test. But if your hysterectomy is due to a precancerous disease or cancer of the cervix, the doctor may recommend having standard Pap tests.
Doctors generally agree that women may consider stopping routine Pap tests at age 65 if their previous tests for cervical cancer are negative. Discuss the options with the doctor, and together can decide what is best for you based on your risk factors. If you have sex with multiple sex partners, your doctor may recommend that you continue to have Pap tests.
Conclusion
The Pap test is a safe way to screen for cervical cancer exclaims the physicians from the best gynecology hospital in Nashik. However, Pap tests are not easy to understand. It is conceivable to get a false-negative result, which means the test does not show anything abnormal, even if you have abnormal cells. The Pap smear is a life-saving screening tool. The test determines abnormal cervical cells before they become cancerous.
In more than 95% of cases, people treated for precancerous cells do not develop cervical cancer. During a Pap test, your health care professional may take cells to test for HPV, an STD that boosts the risk of cervical cancer. Unclear or abnormal Pap test results do not mean you have cancer. Your provider can discuss the test results and next steps with you.