Hi. So I wonder did anyone could give me some advice or if anyone else has had something similar?
I had my smear last Friday, (yearly due to hpv) after the smear, the nurse said she wanted to do an urgent gynae referral as I had what looks like lots of cervical ectropions? Which bled on contact.
iv now got a gynae app next week. They phoned me within a couple of days.
the nurse also said she is telling patients to expect results in 4-6 weeks, but to chase mine after 2 weeks 
Iv looked on Google and it says ectropions display the same was a cervical cancer would. So I’m really on edge!
has anyone else had something similar? What can I expect at my app next week? Why would I need an urgent referral if ectropions are not cancerous? I’m trying not to worry, but it is hard when they rush everything through to get you seen
thank you
Hi BM15 and welcome to the group.
I can understand you are anxious, but would suggest avoiding dr Google, as that’s a sure fire way to ramp up anxiety! A cervical ectropion is not cancer, or cancerous. It happens where the cells which usually grow inside the cervix grow on the outside instead, and can bleed easily on contact.
I suspect that the nurse has referred you to make sure of the ectropion diagnosis-a nurse at a gp surgery or clinic is not an expert, but the gynaecologist is. She can assume that you have this, but cannot be certain, so it’s best to get checked out. It is not a sign of cancer but MAY look like early cancer, so that will be the reason for an urgent referral.
Having a quick referral means you find out sooner what’s going on, rather than waiting weeks which could be very stressful, so try to see that as a positive thing.
At your appointment I would expect the gynaecologist to give you an examination, perhaps with a colposcope which allows a closer look at the cervix, and they may put some liquid on your cervix to identify any abnormal cells. They may also take a punch biopsy which will take a little bit of tissue to send to be tested if they see anything of concern. In my experience, none of this was painful.
I know it must be hard not to worry, but try not to let your thoughts run away with themselves at this stage. Your nurse is just being thorough in referring you, and hopefully it is just cervical ectropion. The only way to be sure is to attend the appointment and get checked out.
Please let us know how you get on, and if you have any further questions.
Sarah xx
Even if something may LOOK like it might be cancerous, my personal experience is that they don’t say anything until further testing has been carried out, in case they are mistaken and cause unnecessary worry.
In my case I had a fairly large tumour, visible to the naked eye, but my gynaecologist simply said he had found a “lesion” where he would take a biopsy. He must have been very certain it was cancer, but did not mention that word until my biopsy results were back. Saved me much anxiety and potentially lost sleep! What if he had been wrong and it was a benign polyp?
Your nurse simply doesn’t know at this stage, so should not be mentioning anything about potential cancer. Hope everything goes well for you.
Sarah xx
Hi BM15
It’s common not to treat mild abnormalities, as they can regress on their own with no need for any treatment, and it’s good that he doesn’t think it’s anything sinister. It’s very common to have this result, and it could be that your body will get on top of the hpv virus which causes the abnormal cells, and put it into dormancy where it isn’t causing any damage. This is why, if the biopsy results confirm what the doctor is assuming, you will be monitored in a year. This would be the standard protocol, and hopefully your biopsy result will confirm there is nothing serious there. I hope you don’t have to wait too long for your results.
Sarah xx
