My PAP test showed changes. Is it likely to be cancer again?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 66-year-old woman. I had two types of cancer in the 80s. The first was what they considered normal cervical cancer. Still, when they went back in to clean up the edges, they discovered a glandular cancer tumor that they felt had to come from somewhere else.

So they did a hysterectomy, but did not find any cancer there. At that time, they only did PAP tests up to the fifth year of being cancer-free.

This week, my new doctor informed me that the protocol now is a PAP test annually for the rest of my life. We did the PAP, and he discovered a red area where the tissue was very fragile and was about to bleed. He did additional swabs, but of course, there are no results yet. I also underwent basic blood tests and have attached the report.

My question is, is this likely to be cancer again? I have no symptoms of a problem in that area. I have been having severe itching, pain, and stinging in the vulva.

I have tried yeast creams, but they hurt, sting, and do not relieve the itching. I have tried cortisone creams, but they do not help either. Diaper cream gives some relief, but not for long.

I take medicines like Venlafaxine, Quetiapine, Jardiance (Empagliflozin), Pantaprozole, Rosuvastatin, Lyrica (Pregabalin), and Gliclazide.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I reviewed your laboratory reports, and your sugar is 9 mmol/L. I just wanted to know whether it is fasting, after meals, or random. If it is fasting, then it is high. High uncontrolled blood sugars can cause vaginal infection, which can be the reason for intense itching.

Monitor your blood sugars via a glucometer at least six times. A morning fast, then two hours of a meal before lunch, two hours after lunch, and before dinner to see if blood sugars are in the target range.

So, if blood sugars are deranged, then just controlling sugar and a local vaginal antibiotic and antifungal pessary for a week would take care of the vaginal infection.

The red area inside the vagina can be for various reasons, and if it is a malignancy, pap results will give a clue. In fact, at your age, the most common cause of red patches is atrophic vaginitis if you are not on hormone replacement therapy.

Only a biopsy or a PET (positron emission tomography) scan could tell you for sure if it is cancer. I think before the results of the test you have undergone, controlling blood sugar would help in managing symptoms.

I hope this information helps you.

Revert in case of queries.

Regards.