LEEP PROCEDURE FOR HIGH GRADE CERVICAL DISPLAYSIA?

mopar
mopar Member Posts: 1,972 Member
in Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine) #1

Hello to all of you Warriors and Survivors!

I am from the ovarian cancer board (dx in 2000 and 2006), and most recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  But my question for today is regarding my daughter who has high grade cervical displaysia.  The gyn/onc she saw is recommending a LEEP procedure.  We have researched this procedure and understand the risks.  This 'high grade' has gone up and down in the last 18 months from low to mid to nothing to mid to low, now to high.  We realize that there are no definitive answers (cancer present or not) until this procedure is done.  But I would truly appreciate your input on all of this.  Her gynecologist gave his 'second opinion' as a 'yes, do the procedure'.  I would like her to also see my gyn/onc, as he is one of the best in the country.  She is only 27 years old, not married yet, but once married would love to have children.

Any insight you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

(((HUGS)))

Monika

 

Comments

  • NoTimeForCancer
    NoTimeForCancer Member Posts: 3,360 Member
    #2
    visiting from the uterine board

    (we all visit eachother's gynecological cancer boards Smile)

    My two cents:  Before my dx of endometrial cancer, if I recall, I was scheduled for a D&C, hysteroscopy, and LEEP.  My gyn said "Let's find out what is going on" for the abnormal bleeding and so grateful she did.  UPSC stage 1A.  Saved my life.  

    Granted, I was much older, but since disease doesn't accept age discrimination, better to know what you are dealing with. 
    Please let us know what your gyn thinks it will help educate us all.

  • ccfighter
    ccfighter Member Posts: 476
    #3
    The leep should not effect

    The leep should not effect your daughters ability to have children.  This HPV is sneaky and the procedure recommended can be life saving.  I know many women who have had leep, cryosurgery, or other interventions to go on and get married and start families.  The Pap smear and follow ups are doing exactly what they are designed for.  Catching cellular changes before it becomes invasive cancer.  Often times the only way to do that is to remove the cells.  She will be fine.  I never had the leep so I can't share any experience of it with you ona. Personal level.  Paps didn't catch my cancer, so I went from normal to hysterectomy, from hysterectomy to rad/chemo, from there to distant metastasis.  Good luck to your daughter and to you as well.  I hope journey through these cancer waters are easy and you arrive safely on shore.  Hugs.

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #4
    to me this isn't a marginal call

    Leep can cause fertility problems, but that depends on what is exactly being removed during the leep.  A leep procedure designed to rremove a large portion of the cervical canal, done if the lesion is deeply within the canal, can cause a loss of cervical mucus.  This can potetially cause infertility.  OTOH, a leep done to remove a lesion clearly visible on the exocervix will not do this.  A leep proceedure that is extensive, due to the lesion being very large, can cause cervical incompetence.  This can lead to pemature delivery.  Having said both of these things, generally leep does NOT intefere with reproduction.

     

    However, 50% of high grade lesions progress to cancer, and our ability to predict which ones will and which won't is lousy.  There's a heck of a difference between the treatment and prognosis for cervical cancer as compared to this premalignant lesion she has.  In my opinion, were this my lesion given her age and reproductive wishes, I'd run, not walk to the GYN Onc and get this done now.  Incidently, assuming the expertise of the physician who  has done her colposcopy and biopsies, there's almost no chance the tissue removed during leep will find a cancer.  The worst areas of the lesion have already been biopsied.

     

    best

     

     

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