Feel bit silly posting on this when so many have a cancer diagnosis and iv only been told I have pre cancerous cells.
But I guess I just wanted some advice and to understand a bit more about CIN 3 and peoples experience.
I had an abnormal smear which lead to a colposcopy. At this appointment consultant stated I was at a CIN3 stage and was very serious. At this point id no Idea what she meant. They carried out a biopsy and 6 weeks later still no results.
I do not know anyone that has ever been at the CIN3 stage. Does anyone know what happens next. can it be left and just checked with yearly smears. A lot of times passed now and I tell myself no news is good news but I cant help but feel anxious. I only joined this group because I don't want to worry my family. Not talking and pretending I am fine has left me feeling quite isolated if am honest.
Hi Atlas and welcome to our group!
Please don’t feel silly posting anything you’d like to ask-that’s what the group is for. CIN3 is the most serious stage of pre cancerous abnormal cells, so you won’t be able to leave this to be monitored by yearly smears I’m afraid-it does need to be treated.
The biopsy was needed to confirm the result of CIN3, and hopefully things have not progressed beyond this, but they do need to check with the biopsy sample.
The most likely course of action if it’s CIN3 is that you would have a treatment called a LLETZ/ loop excision to remove the abnormal cells. This is a procedure done in the clinic normally, under local anaesthetic, and it doesn’t take long. Following this you would be checked again in 6 months to make sure everything is fine. When they do the LLETZ procedure, they want to have clear margins round the portion removed (ie make sure it has been completely removed) so the check in 6 months is called a test of cure to ensure there are no abnormal cells remaining.
This would hopefully be the end of it for you. Please use the group to ask any questions or chat things through-it can be very isolating if you have no-one to chat to about this and we are a very supportive group who are happy to help you.
The most important thing so far is that CIN3 isn’t cancer and can be easily treated. The treatment cannot get rid of the hpv virus which causes these abnormal cells, but sometimes the treatment can kick start your immune system to suppress the virus so the abnormalities don’t come back. Hopefully that will be the case for you!
Anyway, you are very welcome to be with us, and feel free to ask about anything you’re not sure about rather than worrying on your own.
Sarah xx
