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Follow up after treatment for cervical cell changes

 

 

You will have a follow up appointment about 6 months after treatment for cervical cell changes (abnormal cells). This is to check whether the treatment has been successful.

We know waiting for follow up appointments and results can be difficult, so we hope the information on this page helps. If you need some extra support, we are here to chat on 0808 802 8000 too.

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What is a follow up appointment? 

You are invited for your first follow up appointment about 6 months after treatment. It is usually at your GP surgery or the hospital where you had treatment. 

At the appointment, you have a cervical screening test. This is sometimes called a ‘test of cure’ because it shows whether treatment has been successful.

Treatment for cervical cell changes is usually successful and most people have no further problems. A few people may still have cell changes, so may need more treatment. Your follow up appointment is important because it shows whether treatment has been successful. 

Read more about CIN and CGIN >

Follow up for CIN 

Your follow up appointments will depend on which part of the UK you live in. Click on your area to find out what may happen for you.

Read about CIN >

The sample of cervical cells is tested for human papillomavirus (HPV):

  • If you do not have HPV, you will be invited for cervical screening in 3 years.
  • If you have HPV, you will be invited back to colposcopy.

Read about colposcopy >

Your sample of cervical cells is tested for HPV and cell changes:

  • If you do not have cell changes or HPV, you are invited back for cervical screening in 3 years. 
  • If you have HPV but no cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy. 
  • If you have cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy.  

Read about colposcopy >

If your colposcopy results are clear, further follow up appointments depend on what stage of CIN you had:

  • If you were treated for CIN1, you will be invited for cervical screening once a year for 2 years.
  • If you were treated for CIN2 or CIN3, you will be invited for cervical screening once a year for 5 years. 

After this, you can go back to regular cervical screening every 5 years.

Your sample of cervical cells is tested for cell changes. If you have high-grade cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy.

If your result is normal, or you have borderline or low-grade cell changes, your sample will be tested for HPV:

  • If you do not have HPV, you will be invited for cervical screening in 3 years.
  • If you have HPV, you will be invited for colposcopy. 

Read about colposcopy >

Follow up for CGIN

Your follow up appointments will depend on which part of the UK you live in. Click on your area to find out what may happen for you.

Read about CGIN >

Your follow up appointments for CGIN are usually at the hospital where you had treatment: 

  • The first appointment will be about 6 months after treatment.
  • The second appointment will be about 18 months after treatment.

At the follow up appointments, you have a cervical screening test. Your sample of cells is tested for HPV: 

  • If both appointments show you do not have HPV, you will be invited back for cervical screening in 3 years. Further appointments depend on the result of that test. 
  • If either appointment shows you have HPV, you will be invited to colposcopy again. 

If you have questions about your result or when you should be invited for another appointment, speak with your colposcopist. 

 

Your follow up appointments for CGIN are usually at the hospital where you had treatment. 

At the follow up appointments, you have a cervical screening test. Your sample of cells is tested for cell changes:

  • The first appointment will be about 6 months after treatment. 
  • The second appointment will be about 12 months after treatment. At this appointment, you will also go for colposcopy. 
  • You will have the next 4 appointments once a year (annually). 

If all of your results show you do not have cell changes, you will be invited back for regular cervical screening every 5 years. 

If you have questions about your result or when you should be invited for another appointment, speak with your colposcopist. 

Your follow up appointments for CGIN are usually at the hospital where you had treatment: 

  • The first appointment will be about 6 months after treatment.
  • The second appointment will be about 18 months after treatment.

At the follow up appointments, you have a cervical screening test. Your sample of cells is tested for cell changes: 

  • If both appointments show you do not have cell changes, you will be invited back for cervical screening in 3 years. Further appointments depend on the result of that test. 
  • If either appointment shows you have cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy again. 

If you have questions about your result or when you should be invited for another appointment, speak with your colposcopist. 

If cell changes come back

For a few people, cell changes may come back in the future. Going for cervical screening when invited helps find any cell changes early, so they can be monitored or treated as needed.  

Read about cell changes coming back > 

How we can help

Your colposcopist is the best person to advise on what you can expect after treatment for cell changes. They know your individual situation and can answer any questions you have. 

Remember, we are also here for you. Our services are open if you want to talk through anything or simply have someone listen to your concerns on 0808 802 8000. 

Check our Helpline opening hours >

We also have a welcoming community in our online Forum, where you can get and give support. There are lots of conversations about cell changes, so you can choose to read existing threads or post your own messages. 

Join our Forum >

If you have general questions about cell changes or treatment, our Ask the Expert service may be able to help. Submit your question confidentially to our panel of experts and get a tailored reply. 

Use our Ask the Expert service >

Thank you to all the experts who checked the accuracy of this information, and the volunteers who shared their personal experience to help us develop it. 

References

We write our information based on literature searches and expert review. For more information about all the references we used, please contact [email protected]

Read more about how we research and write our information >

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"I underwent treatment for severe abnormalities of the cervix...the fear I felt lead to a passion to raise awareness and funds for Jo's"
Read Lynette's story
Date last updated: 
14 May 2020
Date due for review: 
23 May 2022
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