Cervical Smears

What is a smear test?

It is the sampling of mucous from the neck of the womb - the cervix. It is not a "cancer" test. The test tries to pick up early changes in the cervix, which, if left could in later years become cancer. All our smears are sent to Addenbrookes Hospital Laboratory. The tests are carried out by our specially trained practice nurses.

When should I have one?

We operate a call and recall system and all our female patients between the age of 25 - 64 in England and 20 - 60 in Scotland will be sent regular follow-up appointments to attend for this investigation.

What do the results mean to me?

NEGATIVE

This result means that no abnormal cells have been seen. Your next smear will be in 3 years. If you have any abnormal bleeding, either mid-cycle or after intercourse, PLEASE DON'T WAIT for your next smear - report this to your Doctor immediately.

INADEQUATE/UNSATISFACTORY

This result means that either too little or too much mucous was on the slide. The Laboratory could give no result. A repeat smear is advised. We try and make sure this figure is as low as possible.

ABNORMAL

This result means that there are changes that could cause problems in the future. The usual recommendation from the Laboratory is that the smear should be repeated in 3 or 6 months.

If another ABNORMAL result is reported, the Laboratory recommends that a hospital appointment be made at the Colposcopy clinic. The neck of the womb is then examined with a powerful microscope and the abnormal area of the cervix is removed. This treatment is almost 100% effective.

Ladies are then advised to have more frequent smears as determined by the laboratory - usually for 3 or 5 years.