Today, a smear on atypical cells is performed at almost every visit by a woman to a gynecologist. Ideally, it should be carried out annually, then this allows them to be detected and treated promptly, which eliminates the development of cervical cancer.
This analysis is simple and cheap. In antenatal clinics, it is free. It is also called a cytology smear or PAP test. A gynecologist takes the material for the study when the patient is on the examination chair. Then he puts it on glass and sends it to the laboratory.
There the doctor stains the material and examines it under a microscope. The task of a specialist is to assess the conformity of the size, shape and structure of cells to the norm. If everything is in order, then the analysis is negative. If atypical cells are present in the smear, then the result is considered positive.
However, this does not mean that the patient has cancer. Changes in cells can occur in the presence of inflammation, which can be caused, for example, by STDs. So, a cytogram can be 5 types:
- I - without features;
- II - inflammation caused by trichomonads, fungi, banal flora, gonococci, chlamydia, gardnerella, HPV and / or HSV;
- III - dysplasia of the squamous or cylindrical epithelium (weak, moderate, severe);
- IV - suspected cancer;
- V is cancer.
The result of the analysis for atypical cells depends on the quality of the taking of the material, as well as on the professionalism of the person who analyzes the glass slide. Therefore, errors occur quite often. Having received a positive result from the patient, it is necessary not to be upset, but to retake it and undergo a deeper examination. In this case, colposcopy is required, examination for infections, including necessarily for HPV SRS, and, if necessary, a biopsy.
Also, to get a reliable result, you must correctly pass the analysis. A smear should not be done during menstruation, ideally it should be done from 7 to 11 days of the cycle. Two days before the study, it is necessary to exclude sex, the use of vaginal suppositories, tablets, and douching. It is advisable not to take a bath, but be limited only to a shower.
The massive use of atypical cell analysis has reduced mortality from cervical cancer by 70%. Basically, patients who never did this analysis or passed it extremely rarely die from malignant processes of the cervix. To date, cancer of this organ in women is the most common after breast cancer.
The role of HPV in the development of oncological pathologies of the neck has been scientifically proven. Highly angled types are especially dangerous, the most common and formidable of which are 18 and 16.
Women in whom they were detected in smears using PCR should undergo a cytological examination twice a year. They are 400 times more likely to develop cancer than others.
It is also believed that the onset of cervical cancer contributes to genital herpes. HSV of type 2 is considered more dangerous. Especially undesirable is its combination with HPV WRC. Also a provoking factor for the development of cervical cancer is smoking.
It should be borne in mind that condoms, although they reduce the likelihood of infection with HPV and HSV, but do not exclude it. The fact is that viruses are so small that they penetrate their pores. Therefore, it is desirable to have one permanent partner and be regularly examined by a gynecologist. It must be borne in mind that HPV can begin to manifest itself after many years.
So, atypical cells in a cervical smear are an alarming symptom and require additional examination. If the patient does not undergo therapy on time, then the development of cancer is not excluded in the future. However, cytological studies conducted regularly help to detect changes in a timely manner when the pathology is still completely curable.