Cervical Dysplasia During Pregnancy: Understanding Your Cone Biopsy

Question
I am currently 39 weeks pregnant.  At 26 weeks my pap test came back abnormal.  Upon a second test it was discovered that I had High-grade dysplasia and was told that at my 6 week postpardum check up they will be giving me a cone-biopsy to determine the degree of this condition.  Because I am getting close to giving birth and I know my biopsy will be soon, I have been starting to worry about it once again.  I have questions I would like answered if you would be so kind.  1) How painful is this test?  2)What "exactly" does it test for?  3)Could I have cervical cancer now, or is that only a precondition to cancer?  4)Does pregnancy speed up the cell growth of this condition?  5)I was told that they would freeze my cervix to rid the problem... how successful is this treatment in curing the problem?  6) After the procedure, how likely is it to return? and 7)Could this condition lead to cancer (if not already) even after treatment?  If so, what is the likelihood?

I really appreciate any comments and answers you may have.  Thank you!

Sabrina

Answer
Sabrina,

Your doctor should start from scratch at your 6 week check. That is, a new Pap and if it is again abnormal, then evaluate it as indicated. In general, pregnancy has litle to do with cervical dysplasia, but it can sometimes make the Pap difficult to interpret. You can read more about it at www.gyncancer.com.