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Treatment for CIN

CIN stands for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia. This is a condition that can lead to the development of cancer in the cervix if it is left untreated for a period of time. The problem shows itself as small changes in the cells that form the lining of the cervix, and will become evident when a woman goes for a screening and has an abnormal smear test result.

When a gynaecologist performs a smear test on a patient as part of the regular screening system put in place by the NHS, he or she will wipe or scrape a few cells from the cervix for analysis. These cells will be studied to see whether they are normal or not. The cells that form the surface layer of the cervix are called squamous cells, and if a patient is suffering from CIN, the squamous cells will be different to how they should be, and the test results will come back as abnormal. If this is the case, the patient must return for further screening. In many cases, the repeated smear test comes back normal. But in some cases, the squamous cells will still be abnormal, and the problem will have to be investigated further.

Tests will be performed to show the depth of the abnormal cells. If only a third of the skin of the cervix has been affected, it is a case of CIN 1. If two thirds have been affected then it is known as CIN 2, and if the entire outer layer has been affected, it is known as CIN 3. If the abnormal cells go any deeper than this, it will most likely develop into cervical cancer. If a patient is showing signs of CIN2 or CIN 3, she must be treated as soon as possible.

There are a number of treatments that may be performed to treat this condition. For all treatments, the patient will be placed under local anaesthetic. The most common treatment is called large loop excision of the transformation zone; it is a treatment that involves cutting out the abnormal cells with a hot wire. A cone biopsy involves cutting the abnormal cells away with a laser, laser therapy involves destroying the abnormal cells with a laser, cold coagulation involves burning off the abnormal cells, cryotherapy involves freezing the abnormal cells and in some severe cases a hysterectomy may have to be performed to remove the womb.