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What Are The Chances Of My Cervical Dysplasia Progressing Into Cancer At This Time?
I am a 23 year old female who has been diagnosed with cervical dysplasia since January 2005. I am HPV positive and I have regular pap smears throughout the year to monitor the changes in the cells. The last testing I had done was in September of 2009, and am due again in May 2010. I have had 3 colposcopies since being diagnosed in January 2005, and have had slight changes in the cells. I have 2 areas on my cervix that show the abnormal cells, one at 5:00, and the other at 12:00. My doctor is very good, but she is also very busy and therefore it is hard to get an appointment sooner than scheduled. I have given birth to two children, and have also had two abortions since 2007. After my second abortion I developed endemetritis, and was in the hospital until the massive bleeding stopped and the infection went away. I had Implanon put in my arm in December 2008 after my second abortion to prevent any more pregnancies, and have had abnormal periods ever since. I would go two or three months without a period, and then bleed for a month straight- but nothing too heavy. In the last 3 months however, my bleeding has been an every-other week thing, where I will bleed heavily for a week, and then stop for a week, and then bleed for a week, etc. What seems to trigger the bleeding is having sex. After having sex I will notice a pinkish-colored discharge for a day, and then I will get a very heavy and watery period that will last for 7 days or so. Can you tell me if I should be concerned that my cervical dysplasia is progressing into cancer, or that it has something to do with my Implanon birth control? Thank You.
Mon, 4 Jul 2016
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
First of all, I want to reassure you that it would be extremely unlikely that you would have cervical cancer at the age of 23, even if you have had multiple colposcopies and biopsies. You need to have biopsy-confirmed high-grade dysplasia to be at risk for cancer, and it takes 7-10 years even for severe dysplasia to turn into cancer.
Secondly, because cervical cancer is so slow-growing, there is no need for you to have PAP smears more frequently than once a year. If you have an abnormal PAP, you may need a yearly colposcopy, but as long as the biopsies show only mild abnormal cells or dysplasia, the likelihood is that your Pap tests will eventually normalize and you will not need any treatment. This is a relatively new advance in cervical cancer screening, as we now know more about the biology of HPV (the virus that causes cervical cancer) and the fact that most women catch HPV as teenagers, but it usually goes away by itself by the time a women turns 30 years of age.
So in summary- as long as you follow up with your GYN once yearly, there is little chance you need to worry about cervical cancer, and your menstrual irregularities are likely due to the Implanon. You should have it replaced if it has been 3 years since you got it, or choose another birth control method if the side effects of the irregular bleeding are causing you distress.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
Many women have breakthrough bleeding and spotting while using the Implanon, as it is a common side effect of the medication. I do want to remind you though that the Implanon works conclusively for 3 years, and should be replaced after that. If your implant is wearing off, that can be another reason for your spotting irregularly.
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
First of all, I want to reassure you that it would be extremely unlikely that you would have cervical cancer at the age of 23, even if you have had multiple colposcopies and biopsies. You need to have biopsy-confirmed high-grade dysplasia to be at risk for cancer, and it takes 7-10 years even for severe dysplasia to turn into cancer.
Secondly, because cervical cancer is so slow-growing, there is no need for you to have PAP smears more frequently than once a year. If you have an abnormal PAP, you may need a yearly colposcopy, but as long as the biopsies show only mild abnormal cells or dysplasia, the likelihood is that your Pap tests will eventually normalize and you will not need any treatment. This is a relatively new advance in cervical cancer screening, as we now know more about the biology of HPV (the virus that causes cervical cancer) and the fact that most women catch HPV as teenagers, but it usually goes away by itself by the time a women turns 30 years of age.
So in summary- as long as you follow up with your GYN once yearly, there is little chance you need to worry about cervical cancer, and your menstrual irregularities are likely due to the Implanon. You should have it replaced if it has been 3 years since you got it, or choose another birth control method if the side effects of the irregular bleeding are causing you distress.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
Many women have breakthrough bleeding and spotting while using the Implanon, as it is a common side effect of the medication. I do want to remind you though that the Implanon works conclusively for 3 years, and should be replaced after that. If your implant is wearing off, that can be another reason for your spotting irregularly.
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