This article was co-authored by Jennifer Butt, MD. Jennifer Butt, MD, is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist operating her private practice, Upper East Side OB/GYN, in New York City, New York. She is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital. She earned a BA in Biological Studies from Rutgers University and an MD from Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She then completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Dr. Butt is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Medical Association.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Cervical dysplasia means that abnormal cells are growing on your cervix, which could lead to cervical cancer without treatment. If you’ve received a dysplasia diagnosis, then you’re probably feeling worried about the situation. However, dysplasia is not cancer, and it’s completely treatable. Minor cases even clear up on their own without further treatment. By far the best way to prevent cervical dysplasia from developing into cancer is visiting your gynecologist annually for a screening and getting vaccinated against HPV, the virus that can cause dysplasia.[1] There are also a few lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk of developing cancer. You can take these steps if you’ve been diagnosed with dysplasia, but you should also visit your gynecologist regularly for screenings to make sure the condition is improving.
Steps
Lowering Your Risk Level
Dysplasia is a treatable condition, but there aren’t many home treatments for it. In most cases, your doctor will want to monitor your condition and might recommend a minor procedure to remove the abnormal cells. In the meantime, there are a few steps you can take to prevent the dysplasia from developing into cancer. The best things you can do are lower your overall cancer risk and prevent an HPV infection. Take these steps under your doctor’s guidance and follow their instructions for the best treatment.
Wait for mild dysplasia cases to clear on their own. Fortunately, your body can fight off mild dysplasia by itself without further treatment. Your doctor may just advise you to return in a few months for another screening to make sure the dysplasia hasn’t gotten worse.[2]- Your doctor may still recommend that you make some lifestyle changes to lower your cancer risk.
Get the HPV vaccine if you're under 26 years old. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually-transmitted disease.[3] While you can carry the virus without any symptoms, it could also increase your risk for cervical cancer. The recommendation is for boys and girls to receive the HPV vaccine around age 12-13, but you can still get it until age 26. If you're showing signs of dysplasia and haven't been vaccinated, then getting this vaccine could prevent an HPV infection.[4]- Even if you don't have dysplasia, you should still get the vaccine. HPV is very common and vaccination could prevent cancer later in life.
Use a condom every time you have sex. Since an HPV infection is the most common cause of cervical dysplasia, practicing safe sex is extremely important. After the HPV vaccine, condoms are the best line of defense against the virus, so be sure to use a condom every time you have sex.[5]- Limiting your number of sexual partners could also help lower your risk, but you only have to have sex with one infected person to catch HPV. Make sure all of your sexual partners wear a condom each time you have sex.
- While birth control pills or patches guard against pregnancy, they don’t protect you from STIs. This is why you need a condom.
Quit smoking or don’t start at all. Smoking sends chemicals into your body that increase your risk for multiple types of cancer, including cervical cancer. If you do smoke, then stopping as soon as possible could prevent dysplasia from developing into cancer. If you don’t smoke, then don’t start at all.[6]- Don’t allow people to smoke in your home either. Secondhand smoke also puts you at a higher cancer risk.
Follow a balanced diet to keep your immunity high. A stronger immune system could help your body fight dysplasia, and a healthy diet lowers your risk of cancer overall. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, lean proteins, and water in your diet every day for the best chance of avoiding cancer.[7]- You should also avoid heavily processed, fried, sugary, or fatty foods as much as possible. These increase your cancer risk and hurt your health overall.
Limit your alcohol consumption. Excessive drinking also puts you at a higher risk for cancer. Limit your alcohol consumption to 1-2 drinks per day to lower your risk.[8]- If your doctor thinks you're at a high risk for cancer, then it's best to cut alcohol out altogether.
Maintain a healthy bodyweight. Being overweight could increase your cancer risk because it causes inflammation throughout your body. Your doctor will probably advise you to lose weight if you need to. Ask your doctor what the ideal bodyweight for you is, then design a diet and exercise regimen to reach and maintain that weight.[9]- Exercising and dieting are also good steps to lower your cancer risk, so you’ll have a well-rounded treatment approach by maintaining a healthy weight.
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Medical Treatments
While you can take steps on your own to treat dysplasia and lower your cancer risk, this is still a medical issue that requires guidance from your doctor. If the dysplasia doesn’t clear up on its own, then your doctor will probably recommend a minor surgical procedure to remove the abnormal cells. The particular procedure will depend on how advanced your dysplasia is. In any case, the procedures are minor and don’t require a long recovery period. In most cases, you’ll be able to go home as soon as it’s finished. Follow all of your doctor’s recommendations to book your appointment and care for yourself after the procedure.
Visit your gynecologist once a year for a cancer screening.[10] For mild dysplasia cases, your doctor may not take any action besides monitoring the condition. They may tell you to come back in 6-12 months for another screening. If the dysplasia doesn’t improve or gets worse, they’ll probably recommend a procedure to treat it.[11]- Women over age 21 should see their gynecologist annually anyway, even if they don’t have dysplasia. This is a very important way to catch precancerous conditions early and treat them.
Have a LEEP treatment for minor dysplasia cases. LEEP, or loop electrosurgical excision procedure, is the most common procedure to get rid of dysplasia. The doctor will use a thin wire to scrape off the abnormal cells on your cervix. It only takes a few minutes and the recovery time is short.[12]- The doctor will numb your cervix during this procedure, so you shouldn’t feel any pain.
Freeze the abnormal cells off with cryosurgery for less risk of scarring. This is another common treatment for dysplasia, and often causes less scarring than LEEP. Your doctor will use a cold instrument to freeze and kill the abnormal cells. In most cases, no local or general anesthesia is needed for this procedure and you should recover quickly.[13]
Remove the cells with a laser treatment for more advanced dysplasia. This procedure is a bit more invasive than the others and used for more serious dysplasia cases. It’s done in a hospital and requires general anesthesia. The surgeon will use a concentrated laser to remove the abnormal cells and cure the dysplasia.[14]- You’ll probably still be able to go home the same day as this treatment.
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Medical Takeaways
While you might be worried to hear that you have a precancerous condition, cervical dysplasia is a treatable condition. If it’s caught early, then the chances are very good that it won’t progress into cervical cancer. However, there aren’t many home treatments you can use to treat the condition. The best thing you can do is lower your overall cancer risk and visit your doctor for regular screenings. If necessary, have a minor procedure to remove the abnormal cells. With the correct treatment, you should recover from dysplasia with no lasting problems.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionShould I be worried if I have HPV?
Jennifer Butt, MDJennifer Butt, MD, is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist operating her private practice, Upper East Side OB/GYN, in New York City, New York. She is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital. She earned a BA in Biological Studies from Rutgers University and an MD from Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She then completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Dr. Butt is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Medical Association.
Board Certified Obstetrician & GynecologistHPV, also known as Human Papilloma Virus, can be detected through a pap smear and is exceedingly common. The chance of it actually evolving into something that is malignant or cancerous is pretty small as long as you have the appropriate follow up with your doctor.
References
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/prevention.htm
- ↑ https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare/specialties/womens-health-maternity/obgyn-conditions/cervical-dysplasia
- ↑ Jennifer Butt, MD. Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist. Expert Interview. 13 March 2020.
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001491.htm
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/prevention.htm
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001491.htm
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/other.htm
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/other.htm
- ↑ Jennifer Butt, MD. Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist. Expert Interview. 13 March 2020.
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cervical-cancer/expert-answers/cervical-dysplasia/faq-20058142
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001491.htm
- ↑ https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/understanding-cervical-changes
- ↑ https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare/specialties/womens-health-maternity/obgyn-conditions/cervical-dysplasia
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