Can cervical dysplasia be prevented

Answer 1

Cervical dysplasia is a precancerous lesion that, if left alone, may develop into squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. The vast majority of cases are associated with infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. Infection with HPV is a sexually transmitted infection; some virus types are associated with cancer (eg, types 16 and 18), while others just cause genital warts (eg, types 6 and 11). Cervical dysplasia is due to a viral infection. The virus is HPV, and leads to cellular changes in the cervix. Untreated, these changes can either go away on its own or in some cases lead to Cervical cancer.

Answer 2

As long as it is caught early, a favorable outcome is highly probable. There are certain categories of atypical pap results, ranked in order from least concerning to most:

Reactive (Simple fungal or bacterial infection)

ASC-US (Could be a low grade, or could be reactive)

Low Grade (A low risk HPV infection)

ASC-H (A possible high risk HPV infection, or could be reactive)

AGCUS (Possible glandular involvement. Not enough evidence)

High Grade (High risk HPV infection)

Carcinoma in Situ (Stage right before cancer)

Squamous Cacinoma or Adenocarcinoma (Cancer of cervix)

It is important to know that many women have atypical pap results ranging from ASC-US to High Grade. Adequate screening for HPV infection via the PAP test and HPV test can greatly reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Answer 3

The most important recent development related to prevention of cervical dysplasia is the positive outcome of clinical trials of a vaccine against HPV.

Answer 4

The best preventive measure against uterine cancer is an annual pelvic examination and Pap test.