Cervical Dysplasia Treatment Options: Understanding Your Choices

Cervical dysplasia is the term for abnormal cell growth on the cervix, usually caused by sexually transmitted diseases like HPV. The cells are pre-cancerous, but they are not cancer. A few abnormal cells indicate a mild degree of the condition which can progress to a severe stage with cancerous cells on the cervix surface. This article describes the cervical dysplasia treatment options available for the varying degrees of the condition.

Instructions

• 1

  Get a diagnosis from your gynecologist of the cervical dysplasia severity because different treatment options are more appropriate for different degrees of the condition. A common diagnosis method is a colposocpy exam.

• 2

  Monitor mild cervical dysplasia with repeat pap smears every three to six months. In a mild form it may clear itself, but it could still get worse. Consistent monitoring will discover any progression of the condition so that the proper treatment can be administered.

• 3

  Ask your doctor about cryosurgery for mildly moderate cervical dysplasia. This treatment easily and inexpensively destroys cells by freezing them. Liquid nitrogen traveling through a probe chills cervix tissue to -20 degrees Celsius. This method may not destroy all abnormal cells because the depth can only be approximated, so it is better suited for mild and moderate cases.

• 4

  Explore the options of electro-cauterization and loop excision for moderate dysplasia. Both use electricity that runs through a small probe. Electro-cauterization kills cells, whereas the loop excision removes cells so that they can be sent to the laboratory for analysis.

• 5

  Learn about laser vaporization, a cervical dysplasia treatment that offers a speedier recovery time than cryosurgery. This in-office procedure precisely directs a tiny beam of light to the appropriate location and depth. Although most doctors recommended this state-of-the-art procedure, not all of them own the equipment and therefore it may require a more expensive hospital visit.

• 6

  Surgically remove a cone of the cervix if the doctor cannot guarantee that abnormal cells have not grown in the deeper tissue layers of the cervix. A laboratory will analyze the cone to identify or rule out cancer. This method of treatment is rare and can hinder childbearing.

• 7

  Schedule a hysterectomy if your cervical dysplasia treatment goal is complete eradication of the condition and you do not want to have children in the future.