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Routine Care & WellnessWhat can I learn from my Pap examination?The Pap examination is a screening test for cervical cancer. Its primary purpose is to detect early cervical cancer and precancerous conditions. An abnormal Pap smear often means precancer, a change that can lead to cervical cancer if left untreated. If cancerous or precancerous cells are found, the next step is a more thorough examination of your cervix, during which your physician will obtain tissue biopsies for a pathologist to study. Sometimes, an abnormal Pap smear means there are uncertain cell changes that could be precancerous or entirely benign, needing no further investigation. Your physician may recommend repeat Pap smears or tissue biopsies to explain these uncertain changes.A Pap examination also may detect infections such as bacteria, yeast, or viruses. One kind of sexually-transmitted virus is important to detect because of its link to cervical cancer. This virus is the human papilloma virus (HPV), sometimes "condyloma" or genital warts.
Source: This information about Pap examination is used with permission and courtesy of the College of American Pathologists.
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