What is the most common reason for an abnormal Pap smear?
In most cases, an abnormal Pap test is a result of: A human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. A sexually transmitted infection (STI or STD), such as herpes or trichomoniasis. A bacterial or yeast infection.
What is the most common abnormality in a Pap smear?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US): This is the most common abnormal Pap test finding. It means that some cells dont look completely normal, but its not clear if the changes are caused by HPV infection.
Does abnormal Pap mean STD?
An abnormal Pap smear doesnt necessarily mean you have cervical cancer. In most cases, an abnormal Pap test is a result of: A human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. A sexually transmitted infection (STI or STD), such as herpes or trichomoniasis.
What percentage of abnormal Pap smears are cancerous?
Most of the abnormal cells found during a Pap test are the result of a cervical or vaginal infection and are not cancerous. Abnormal Pap tests are very common. In fact, of the 3 million women with abnormal Pap tests each year, less than 1% (13,240 cases) will be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
What are atypical cells in a Pap smear?
Atypical glandular cells: When the glandular cells do not look normal, but they have concerning features that could be cancerous, the term used is atypical glandular cells (AGC). In this case, the patient should have more testing done. Adenocarcinoma: Cancers of the glandular cells are called adenocarcinomas.
Why is my Pap smear abnormal but not cancer?
An abnormal Pap test result rarely means cancer is present, especially in someone who has regular, annual Pap tests. An abnormal result means there are cells in the cervix that look unusual, which can be caused by yeast or bacterial infection, irritation, benign growths, hormonal changes, or pre-cancer.
Should I worry about atypical squamous cells?
In most cases, the presence of abnormal squamous cells does not indicate the presence of cervical cancer. However, abnormal Pap results should always be discussed with a medical professional so that an individualized action plan can be created.
What are the five categories of Pap smear abnormalities?
What are the different types of abnormal results? Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) Atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude HSIL (ASC-H) Atypical glandular cells (AGC)
Meaning
What does an abnormal pap smear indicate?
An abnormal Pap smear can be concerning, although abnormal results do not always indicate cancer (or any other serious condition). Sometimes, cells become abnormal and eventually return to normal on their own. Other times, abnormal cells are the result of a bacterial infection, HPV infection or yeast infection. What Does An Abnormal Pap Smear Mean? - Moffitt Cancer Center moffitt.org cancers diagnosis screening moffitt.org cancers diagnosis screening
Appearance
What does an abnormal pap smear look like?
The iodine stains healthy cells brown, while abnormal cells maintain their typical white or yellow color. A biopsy may be performed in which the physician removes a small amount of cervical tissue for examination by a pathologist. This is the only sure way to determine whether the abnormal cells indicate cancer. Abnormal Pap Smear | ColumbiaDoctors columbiadoctors.org treatments-conditions columbiadoctors.org treatments-conditions
