Monitoring changes in your cells
Your doctor may also want to do a colposcopy, an exam that tells him or her more about the condition of the cervix.

The exam may be somewhat uncomfortable, but typically lasts only about ten minutes. If your doctor does find abnormal areas, he or she may do a biopsy, sometimes numbing the cervix and then taking very small tissue samples. You may have some cramping or discomfort during the procedure and light spotting afterward.

During the biopsy, your doctor may also use a special speculum and take a scraping of cells from the inside of your cervix to see if it shows anything abnormal.

Although most cervical cell changes take years to progress from precancerous to cancerous if left unchecked, cancer found in glandular cells tends to be more aggressive, so if your doctor does find any of these type of changes, they may be more likely than other cervical cell changes to be cancerous. The scraping may cause brief cramps and light bleeding. Any tissue samples will then be sent to a pathologist for diagnosis.

Treatment options
If your doctor recommends removing the abnormal cells (rather than monitoring the cervix by doing a repeat Pap test in a few months), he or she will use one of the following methods:

	Cryotherapy: In this procedure, liquid nitrogen freezes and destroys the abnormal cells.
	Laser therapy: This procedure involves using a laser to remove the abnormal cells.
	LEEP: A thin wire loop is used to remove the abnormal portions of the cervix.
	Conization (also known as a cone biopsy): Using a surgical scalpel or laser, a cone-shaped piece of tissue is removed from the cervix.

Remember, it’s important for you to know as much as you can about Cervical Cancer so together your doctor and you can discuss your options and determine the best treatment for you. Only by being educated will you be able to understand and work with your doctor to get the therapy you need.