How Serious Is Cervical Dysplasia?

Certain strains of HPV (most often types 16 and 18) can cause changes in the cells of your cervix, a condition called cervical dysplasia. Your cervix is the opening between your vagina and your uterus. Left untreated, cervical dysplasia sometimes advances to cervical cancer.

Cervical dysplasia is a term used to describe abnormal changes in the cells on the cervix, and it is often detected through Pap smears or HPV testing. The seriousness of cervical dysplasia depends on the grade of dysplasia and whether it progresses to a more severe stage.

Mild cervical dysplasia CN1/LISL

Cervical dysplasia is a precancerous condition in which abnormal cells grow on the surface of your cervix. The cervix is the opening to your uterus that’s attached to the top portion of your vagina. Another name for cervical dysplasia is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or CIN. “Intraepithelial” means that the abnormal cells are present on the surface (epithelial tissue) of your cervix and have not grown past that surface layer. The word “neoplasia” refers to the growth of abnormal cells.

How serious is cervical dysplasia?

Hearing the word “precancerous” can be scary, but it’s important to remember that most people with cervical dysplasia don’t get cancer. Receiving a cervical dysplasia diagnosis means that you may — not that you will — develop cervical cancer if you don’t have recommended treatments. If cancer does form, it takes years to develop, giving your healthcare provider time to find and remove problem areas.

How long does HPV take to turn into CIN1?

 It was observed that in every age group more than 50% of women were estimated to have developed CIN within 24 months of recorded onset of persistent HR-HPV infection, with at least 30% of women in each age group probably developing CIN within 12 months.

What percentage of CIN 1 goes away?

CIN-1 is due to infection with HPV. Of every 10 cases of HPV infection, eight (80%) will go away without treatment within 12 months.

Why is my body not clearing HPV?

Scientists think it might be to do with the type of high-risk HPV that someone has. It might be affected by your immune system — some people’s bodies find it easier to fight HPV than others. They also think some lifestyle habits, like smoking, can make it hard for your body to clear HPV.

In many cases, CIN 1 may resolve on its own without medical intervention. Therefore, the initial approach often involves close monitoring. Here are some common management options for CIN 1:

Monitoring

Regular follow-up examinations to assess whether the abnormalities resolve spontaneously. Test every 6 months or 1 year.

Can HPV be dormant?

HPV has a ‘dormancy’ period, which means that the virus spends some time in our body without causing any harm, this is usually a couple of years but can stretch to decades. When HPV is dormant it can’t be detected by a test, but it can become active later which is when it would be picked up in cervical screening.

What is a dilation and curettage (D&C)?

Before doing a D&C, your health care team might recommend a procedure called endometrial biopsy or endometrial sampling to diagnose a condition. Endometrial sampling might be done if you have unusual endometrial cells, which are discovered during a routine test for cervical cancer.

If more information is needed, you then might need a dilation and curettage D&C, a surgical procedure in which

• the cervix (lower, narrow part of the uterus) is dilated (expanded), with small instruments or a medication is used to open (dilate) the lower, narrow part of your uterus (cervix)

• so that the uterine lining (endometrium) can be scraped with a curette (spoon-shaped instrument, sharp instrument or suction device), used to remove uterine tissue.

It is usually done in an operating room. The type of anesthesia will depend on the specific procedure being performed. Some D&C procedures may be performed while you are asleep under general anesthesia, or while you are awake under spinal or epidural anesthesia. If spinal or epidural anesthesia is used, you will have no feeling from your waist down.

When performing a D&C to treat a condition, a doctor removes the contents from inside your uterus, not just a small tissue sample. This might be done to remove cervical or uterine polyps, which are usually noncancerous, or benign.

A D&C might be combined with another procedure called hysteroscopy. During hysteroscopy, a doctor inserts a slim instrument with a light and camera on the end into your vagina, through your cervix and into your uterus.

Your doctor then views the lining of your uterus on a screen, checking for areas that look unusual. Your doctor also checks for polyps and takes tissue samples as needed. During a hysteroscopy, uterine polyps and fibroid tumors can be removed.

At times, a hysteroscopy might be done combined with an endometrial biopsy before a full D&C procedure.

Vaginal cream

Vaginal creams are available over-the-counter (OTC) and by prescription for different purposes

Precribed medication: Angeliq.

OTC medication: vaginal gels.

Vaginal creams usually come in a tube with an applicator nozzle that looks like a syringe and has a plunger. Find a comfortable place where you can apply the medicine lying down. Place a towel under you to prevent spillage.

Dietary suplements to boost the immune system

When should I take my dietary supplement?

Fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, K, E and D — are optimal at dinnertime. Water-soluble vitamins — vitamin C, all B vitamins and folate — absorb best on an empty stomach. Magnesium works best when taken before bed.

So, what can you do?

If you suspect your diet is not providing you with all your micronutrient needs — maybe, for instance, you don’t like vegetables — taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may bring other health benefits, beyond any possibly beneficial effects on the immune system.

Lifestyle Modifications

Encouraging a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, can contribute to a stronger immune system, which may aid in the natural regression of CIN 1 lesions.

How can I check my immune system?

Having numbers of certain cells in your blood that are outside of the standard range can indicate an immune system defect. Blood tests can also determine if your immune system is responding properly and producing proteins that identify and kill foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses (antibodies).

Healthy ways to strengthen your immune system

Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system working properly. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:

• Don’t smoke.
• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Try to minimize stress.