ious, pre-cancerous or invasive cancer. Somewhere on the cervix the two cell types, squalors cells and columnar cells meet and it is in this transformation zone that growth of cancer cells generally occur.
After the smear has been taken and sent to a laboratory for testing, its report will arrive in due course. The report will be labeled either as normal or abnormal. In case of normal report no further action is required and the person can get it repeated after 1-2 years as per advice and circumstances. An abnormal Pap smear does not necessarily mean that cancer cells were found during the examination. There are many causes for abnormal Pap smear results. Your doctor will evaluate the results to determine if further testing is necessary. A repeat Pap smear may be necessary if you had an infection at the time of the test or if there were not enough cells collected during the test.

The Pap test is a simple, painless test to detect abnormal cells in and around the cervix. A woman should have this test when she is not menstruating; the best time is between 10 and 20 days after the first day of her menstrual period. For about 2 days before a Pap test, she should avoid douching or using spermicidal foams, creams, or jellies or vaginal medicines (except as directed by a physician), which may wash away or hide any abnormal cells. 

 Since decreased levels of the female hormone estrogen also can influence Pap smear results, menopausal women may need to take estrogen before they repeat the test or perform colostomy examination. Colposcopy is an examination of the cervix and the walls of the vagina, through a speculum. Your doctor looks through a magnifying instrument called a colposcope to detect cervical problems. Colposcopy is always necessary immediately after an abnormal Pap smear has been found. In fact it will be better if colposcopy is made a part of the routine examination of the cervix, at least in suspicious/ higher than normal risk, cases. While waiting to perform another Pap smear test, one should keep an eye on the development of certain symptoms. Pre-cancerous conditions of the cervix seldom cause symptoms. When cancer is present in the cervix, the most common symptom is abnormal bleeding. Bleeding may start and stop between regular menstrual periods, or it may occur after sexual intercourse. Abnormal vaginal discharge is another symptom. Pain is NOT an early warning sign of the disease. But be sure to see your doctor if any of these symptoms arises and esp. if these last longer than 2 weeks.

Don’t skip important yearly examinations that may save your life!

As  said elsewhere cervical cancer is quite curable when detected early. All women are at risk, some more than the other. Single most important thing is yearly check-up. Early detection and adequate treatment means a difference between life and death. It should begin as soon as woman becomes sexually active. So yearly examination is necessary for a girl in teens  onwards to all women well past 50 or later. It is not uncommon to find  pre-cancerous cells in young women, but these can be removed successfully. 

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