What is Dysplasia?
Dysplasia, or cervical dysplasia, is the term used when abnormal cells are found on the cervix. Dysplasia does not cause health problems, but can lead to cervical cancer if left untreated. According to Women's Health, 250,000 to 1 million women in the United States develop cervical dysplasia each year. Early diagnosis is important because without treatment up to 50% of cases might progress to cancer.
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Warning
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Dysplasia has no symptoms. Regular pap smears and gynecological exams are the best way to ensure the condition is caught early and treatment is begun on time. According to the American Cancer Society, 60 to 80% of women newly diagnosed with cervical cancer had not had a pap smear in five years or longer.
Levels
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There are three levels for dysplasia, mild, moderate and severe. Mild dysplasia is the most common form diagnosed and in most cases cervical tissue heals and the woman gets better without treatment. Moderate and severe cases are more likely to progress to cancer without treatment.
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Risk Factors
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The following risk factors increase the chance of developing cervical dysplasia: multiple sex partners, beginning sexual activity before age 18, sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, smoking, diets low in fruits, vegetables, and folic acid, HPV or Human Papillomavirus, and being infected with HIV or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Reasons
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HPV is made up of more than 100 related viruses, is passed through sexual contact, and accounts for 80 to 90% of the cases of dysplasia. The condition produces no symptoms, so pap smear testing is the only way to find the virus and begin treatment to reduce the chances of developing cancer.
Women with HIV are thought to develop dysplasia more often because of a suppressed immune system function.
Smoking releases cancer-causing chemicals into the body. These chemicals are carried by the blood stream to the cervix where researchers believe the cells are damaged leading to cervical dysplasia and eventually cancer.
Considerations
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A woman with a mother or sister who had cervical cancer is two to three times more likely to develop dysplasia or cancer.
Women can develop dysplasia from tobacco chemicals released from the semen of sex partners.
Condoms reduce the chances of getting HPV, but do not offer foolproof protection because skin-to-skin contact can still occur with infected areas.
Evidence suggests taking oral contraceptives increases a woman's chance of developing cervical dysplasia. One theory is that oral contraceptives interfere with the cells of the cervix's ability to metabolize folic acid. The American Cancer Society says women who take oral contraceptives for longer than five years double their chances of getting dysplasia.
Children of women exposed to DES (diethylstilbestrol), a synthetic estrogen prescribed between the years of 1938 and 1971 to help prevent miscarriage, are at higher risk of developing dysplasia and cervical cancer.
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