Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia GuideSigns and Symptoms of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia
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Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Guide
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN), also known as cervical dysplasia, is the abnormal growth of cells (neoplasia) or lesions on your outer cervix lining (intraepithelial).
Learn more about cervical intraepithelial neoplasia symptoms, causes, treatment, and prognosis.
Is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia cancerous?CIN is also considered “premalignant” cancer because having CIN is a risk factor for developing cervical cancer at a later time.
Is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia cancerous?
CIN is also considered “premalignant” cancer because having CIN is a risk factor for developing cervical cancer at a later time.
Verywell / Jessica Olahs
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) Symptoms
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia can develop without you knowing it because there are typically no symptoms.This is why getting routine pap smears is so important—only a pap smear will show the abnormal cells.
Further classification will occur after the diagnosis to specify the amount of tissue affected. The three grade levels of CIN include:
Bleeding After Sex Could Signal CINIf you have vaginal bleeding or spotting after engaging in penetrative or oral sexual activity, talk to your doctor. While not a hard and fast rule, research suggests this may be apredictor or sign of CIN.It may also indicate an infection like HPV that causes CIN. While there could be many other reasons, it’s best to get it checked out—especially if you’re due for a pap or HPV test.
Bleeding After Sex Could Signal CIN
If you have vaginal bleeding or spotting after engaging in penetrative or oral sexual activity, talk to your doctor. While not a hard and fast rule, research suggests this may be apredictor or sign of CIN.It may also indicate an infection like HPV that causes CIN. While there could be many other reasons, it’s best to get it checked out—especially if you’re due for a pap or HPV test.
What Is the Most Common Cause of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
Some risk factors also increase your likelihood of coming into contact with HPV, but you should know it’s a pretty common virus. HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get the virus at some point in their lives.
Additional risk factors include:
Diagnosis of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia
If your pap smear results show abnormal cells, your doctor or doctor’s office will contact you to discuss next steps. While this is an understandably upsetting experience, precancerous cells don’t typically become cancerous for years, if at all.
What Is a Pap Smear?
The next step is often to get an actual look at what’s happening via colposcopy so your doctor can examine the cervix area under a microscope.
The colposcopy can be completed in your doctor’s office and can also be used to examine for:
What Is a Colposcopy?
From here, your doctor can decide if they need to take a biopsy or whether or not close monitoring (more frequent pap smears) is enough for now. DNA testing may also be done to see if you have a high-risk form of HPV.
If your HPV status is unknown, be aware that screening guidelines do recognize HPV testing as a method of detecting and preventing CIN and cervical cancer (in women age 30 and over). Getting tested is a part of determining your overall risk and what treatment method is most suitable.
What Is the Best Treatment for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
Treatment may not be necessary in cases of low-grade CIN 1 because the underlying infection often resolves on its own. For higher-grade disease, the cells may need to be destroyed or removed to keep them from multiplying or mutating years from now.
If you have a more severe grade of CIN (2 or 3), treatment options include:
Research on alternative treatments or potential contributing factors that can be manipulated for therapeutic reasons is also being conducted.
One such study looked at how the presence or absence ofLactobacillusspp. (a common probiotic) altered the vaginal environment. Lower levels were associated with lower disease regression rates in 12- and 24-month follow-ups, suggesting some link that needs further examination.
While CIN isn’t cancer, it’s still a medical condition requiring your attention to support a positive prognosis. If you’re unsure when your last pap was or how to get one, contact your healthcare provider, local health department, a community health clinic, or Planned Parenthood.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Prognosis
The prognosis of CIN will depend upon two factors:
ASCCP RecommendationsThe American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) recommends using one of six clinical actions to manage cervical cancer screening abnormalities. These include:TreatmentOptional treatment or colposcopy/biopsyColposcopy/biopsyOne-year surveillanceThree-year surveillanceFive-year return to regular screening
ASCCP Recommendations
The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) recommends using one of six clinical actions to manage cervical cancer screening abnormalities. These include:TreatmentOptional treatment or colposcopy/biopsyColposcopy/biopsyOne-year surveillanceThree-year surveillanceFive-year return to regular screening
The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) recommends using one of six clinical actions to manage cervical cancer screening abnormalities. These include:
Summary
Pap smear results detect the presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The condition usually has no symptoms; however, bleeding after sexual activity could potentially be a warning sign. The most common cause of CIN is an HPV infection. If discovered early and properly treated, the risk of CIN developing into cancer is low.
How to Encourage a Cancer Screening
You will need some time to recover (full cervix recovery takes six months) before trying to getpregnant. The LEEP procedure does pose a small risk of some scarring over the cervical opening which may provide additional challenge for sperm to pass through, but this is rare.
No, CIN is not contagious. It cannot be passed on to other people.
STD Diagnosis
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Cervical dysplasia.Cohen O, Schejter E, Agizim R, et al.Postcoital bleeding is a predictor for cervical dysplasia.PLoS One.2019;14(5):e0217396. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217396World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HPV.National Cancer Institute.CIN 2.Mitra A, MacIntyre DA, Ntritsos G, et al.The vaginal microbiota associates with the regression of untreated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 lesions.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):1999. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15856-yEgemen D, Cheung LC, Chen X, et al.Risk estimates supporting the 2019 ASCCP risk-based management consensus guidelines.J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020;24(2):132-143. doi:10.1097/LGT.0000000000000529Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fertility and pregnancy after a LEEP.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Cervical dysplasia.Cohen O, Schejter E, Agizim R, et al.Postcoital bleeding is a predictor for cervical dysplasia.PLoS One.2019;14(5):e0217396. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217396World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HPV.National Cancer Institute.CIN 2.Mitra A, MacIntyre DA, Ntritsos G, et al.The vaginal microbiota associates with the regression of untreated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 lesions.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):1999. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15856-yEgemen D, Cheung LC, Chen X, et al.Risk estimates supporting the 2019 ASCCP risk-based management consensus guidelines.J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020;24(2):132-143. doi:10.1097/LGT.0000000000000529Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fertility and pregnancy after a LEEP.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UpToDate.Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Cervical dysplasia.Cohen O, Schejter E, Agizim R, et al.Postcoital bleeding is a predictor for cervical dysplasia.PLoS One.2019;14(5):e0217396. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217396World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HPV.National Cancer Institute.CIN 2.Mitra A, MacIntyre DA, Ntritsos G, et al.The vaginal microbiota associates with the regression of untreated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 lesions.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):1999. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15856-yEgemen D, Cheung LC, Chen X, et al.Risk estimates supporting the 2019 ASCCP risk-based management consensus guidelines.J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020;24(2):132-143. doi:10.1097/LGT.0000000000000529Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fertility and pregnancy after a LEEP.
UpToDate.Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Cervical dysplasia.
Cohen O, Schejter E, Agizim R, et al.Postcoital bleeding is a predictor for cervical dysplasia.PLoS One.2019;14(5):e0217396. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217396
World Health Organization.Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HPV.
National Cancer Institute.CIN 2.
Mitra A, MacIntyre DA, Ntritsos G, et al.The vaginal microbiota associates with the regression of untreated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 lesions.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):1999. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15856-y
Egemen D, Cheung LC, Chen X, et al.Risk estimates supporting the 2019 ASCCP risk-based management consensus guidelines.J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020;24(2):132-143. doi:10.1097/LGT.0000000000000529
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fertility and pregnancy after a LEEP.
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