Okay I had my baby in june, in july I had my 6 week check up. I had a pap done I thought everything was fine now 3 monthes later i get a letter saying it is abnormal. They said they sent me a ltter in july but i didnt recieve it or any phone calls. so i was very upset. So i go pick up the letter from the doc office and it says asc-h and they want me to have a Colposcopy done. I am so scared. I have no idea what this means, if I have cancer or if it is just where I had just had a baby 6 weeks before or should i be worried that it took so long for them to contact me.. could someone give me more info or has anyone or someone you know been in this situation and what was the out come or results. thanks so much
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abnormal pap test ASC-H please answef?
- Thread starter sla22
- Start date
"Colposcopy is a simple and painless procedure performed in a gynecologist's office that takes 10 to 15 minutes. You are positioned on the examination table like you are for a Pap smear, and an acetic acid (such as common table vinegar) is placed on the cervix. This causes the cervical cells to fill with water so light will not pass through them.
Your physician will use a colposcope to view your cervix. A colposcope is a large, electric microscope that is positioned approximately 30 cm from the vagina. A bright light on the end of the colposcope lets the gynecologist clearly see the cervix.
During the colposcopy, the gynecologist focuses on the areas of the cervix where light does not pass through. Abnormal cervical changes are seen as white areas -- the whiter the area, the worse the cervical dysplasia. Abnormal vascular (blood vessel) changes are also apparent through the colposcope. Typically, the worse that the vascular changes are, the worse the dysplasia.
If your physician can view the entire abnormal area through the colposcope, a tissue sample or biopsy is taken from the whitest abnormal areas and sent to the lab for further evaluation. "
Your physician will use a colposcope to view your cervix. A colposcope is a large, electric microscope that is positioned approximately 30 cm from the vagina. A bright light on the end of the colposcope lets the gynecologist clearly see the cervix.
During the colposcopy, the gynecologist focuses on the areas of the cervix where light does not pass through. Abnormal cervical changes are seen as white areas -- the whiter the area, the worse the cervical dysplasia. Abnormal vascular (blood vessel) changes are also apparent through the colposcope. Typically, the worse that the vascular changes are, the worse the dysplasia.
If your physician can view the entire abnormal area through the colposcope, a tissue sample or biopsy is taken from the whitest abnormal areas and sent to the lab for further evaluation. "
ASC stands for Atypical Squamous Cells. It is divided into two categories:
ASC-US: is the diagnosis when some abnormal cells show up, but the doctor isn't exactly sure why.
ASC-H indicates that some cells were abnormal and could potentially be cancerous. It doesn't mean that they are cancerous, just that they could be. A colposcopy is typically performed to take a closer look at the cervix to see if there is a reason to be worried.
The reason doctors perform pap smears is to detect cancer and detect it early. Don't be worried until you absolutely have to be. I understand your concern and I completely sympathize with your situation, but stressing out now isn't going to help any. Schedule that procedure as soon as you are able to.
ASC-US: is the diagnosis when some abnormal cells show up, but the doctor isn't exactly sure why.
ASC-H indicates that some cells were abnormal and could potentially be cancerous. It doesn't mean that they are cancerous, just that they could be. A colposcopy is typically performed to take a closer look at the cervix to see if there is a reason to be worried.
The reason doctors perform pap smears is to detect cancer and detect it early. Don't be worried until you absolutely have to be. I understand your concern and I completely sympathize with your situation, but stressing out now isn't going to help any. Schedule that procedure as soon as you are able to.