Smear Tests

[bednobs]

I have recently had my smear test, and had a letter back saying no HPV detected, therefore unlikely to be a problem.
I have never seen the letter refer specifically to HPV before - it that all they test for or do they actually examine the cells for changes?

[Peter Pedant]

more than you ever want to know about HPV here

https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainshpv.html

short answer - they use a variety of tecnics including stains and PCR. So developed now (2022) negative means negative*

*(bit like HIV test - a negative test means neg and is never wrong)

[Sqad]

////it that all they test for or do they actually examine the cells for changes?/////

Almost ALL cervical cancers are due to HPV and being negative means that you do not have a problem.

I always thought that the cells from the smear are also reported upon, but clearly this has changed.
I "assume" that if you are HPV negative then you have normal cytology.

I don't know.

[237SJ]

From the wording on here (under results) it looks like if you are HPV negative, you don't need any further checks and if you are HPV positive they look for cellular changes. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/your-results/

[Sqad]

237.......that sounds sensible.

[237SJ]

I think I saw somewhere (probably just a bullet point on the news that I didn't take a lot of notice of) that the way they were doing the tests had changed. Instead of putting the sample on a glass plate they were swizzling it around in a test tube. That must be the HPV test.

[Milo2]

A relative of mine had a smear test that detected abnormal cells and HPV. She then had a colposcopy and the abnormal cells were removed. A follow up smear was done six months later.

[Peter Pedant]

90% effective the vaccine
one in the eye for anti-vaxxers !

astounding from my point of view as another DNA virus vaccine ( herpes simplex ) didnt work - cell to cell transmission so the antibody never got to the virus)

[Peter Pedant]

// Instead of putting the sample on a glass plate they were swizzling it around in a test tube.//

not sure: may be transport medium - covered in the ref I gave. Papanicolaou stain now old had but still used,
PCR and FISH - which I have no intention of trying to explain

FISH is cool: only ONE strand of DNA reqd! - - - golly!!