Hi upa,
I've found some information about cervical dysplasia for you that I
think you will find useful. Thanks for clarifying that you're
interested in stage 1 dysplasia - that helps with the treatment
options.
The standard treatment options are surgical in nature, including
standard surgery, cryosurgery, and a technique called "LEEP" that uses
an electrified loop of wire to remove the affected cells (I know, this
sounds scary but is a standard treatment). According to the AMA's
Medical Library article on cervical dysplasia, treatment with vitamin
A is also being investigated (see below for the quotation) but is
still pretty experimental. The AMA also suggests that monitoring of
CIN1 may be all the treatment that is necessary, since it may not ever
progress to cervical cancer (the real concern here). The National
Cancer Institute does not mention dietary treatments in its list of
treatments for precancerous conditions (again, see quotation below).
The AMA reference to Vitamin A studies is supported by a research
review that I found in PubMed MEDLINE. This review looked at a number
of treatments for different stages of cervical dysplasia/SIL, and
highlighted non-surgical alternative medicine treatments involving
diet (antioxidant fruits and veggies), vitamin A (both dietary and
topical), carotenoids, indole-3-carbinol, folic acid, and
antioxidants.
Citation: Marshall, K. "Cervical dysplasia: early intervention."
Alternative Medicine Review May 2003 8(2): 156-170.
Unfortunately, because of copyright restrictions I can't send you the
complete article. However, you should be able to get it from your
local medical library (and if you're in New York I would suggest the
Cornell Medical School Weill Library - they're nice folks).
Finding a doctor who treats SIL 1 surgically should not be a problem.
I'd guess most "regular" gynecologists would be able to perform the
surgery, or would refer you to a specialist who would. Finding
someone who would be willing to try an alternative treatment (which is
what the dietary/drug ones are still considered) might be harder. The
best place to go for referrals to gynecologists is the American
College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Physician Directory at
http://www.acog.org/member-lookup/disclaimer.cfm.
Here are the two websites that I mentioned above:
American Medical Association Medical Library: Cervical Dysplasia
http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZIY13X59C&sub_cat=9
"After determining the extent and severity (CIN 1, 2, 3) of cervical
dysplasia, the goal of treatment is to remove all abnormal growth that
is likely to develop into cervical cancer. In some cases, low-grade
cervical dysplasia (CIN 1) may not require immediate treatment because
it often resolves on its own; rather, careful routine follow-up
examinations and management may be used. The abnormal tissue of a more
severe dysplasia may be removed by cervical conization (surgical
removal of a cone-shaped area of tissue), cauterization with heat,
cryosurgery (using extreme cold to freeze the dysplasia), laser
treatments to vaporize abnormal cells, or a loop electrosurgical
excision procedure or LEEP (a technique that uses an electrified wire
loop). Newer experimental treatments are also being used to treat
cervical dysplasia with vitamin A derivatives called retinoids, but so
far these have not been more effective than standard therapies."
National Cancer Institute: What You Need To Know About Cancer of the Cervix
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/cervix
"Treatment for a precancerous lesion of the cervix depends on a number
of factors. These factors include whether the lesion is low or high
grade, whether the woman wants to have children in the future, the
woman's age and general health, and the preference of the woman and
her doctor. A woman with a low-grade lesion may not need further
treatment, especially if the abnormal area was completely removed
during biopsy, but she should have a Pap test and pelvic exam
regularly. When a precancerous lesion requires treatment, the doctor
may use cryosurgery (freezing), cauterization (burning, also called
diathermy), or laser surgery to destroy the abnormal area without
harming nearby healthy tissue. The doctor also can remove the abnormal
tissue by LEEP or conization."
I found the websites and the URL for the ACOG Physician Directory by
using MEDLINEplus, the National Library of Medicine's consumer health
system (www.medlineplus.gov). My initial search was for "cervical
dysplasia." I found the article by searching for "cervix
dysplasia/therapy"[MeSH] in the PubMed MEDLINE database (also from
NLM) of medical journal articles (www.pubmed.gov).
Please let me know (before rating this answer, if possible), if I can
be of additional help or if something needs clarifying. I'll note
that I am a medical librarian, not a physician, so any statements made
in this answer should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Yours,
Librariankt |
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