Catch it early save your life.

Watchful Waiting

What do you mean by watchful waiting?

Okay. It depends on your situation.  You and your doctor will discuss possible treatments.  In certain cases, you and your doctor might decide not to make an immediate treatment decision.  The doctor will observe and monitor the abnormal changes in your cervix over months or years.  This choice may be offered if the abnormal changes in your cervix have a very low likelihood of becoming cancer.  The risk of watchful waiting is the possibility that the abnormal changes may become cancer, spread and become difficult to cure.  The benefit of watchful waiting is that you do not have to go through the inconvenience, expense and side effects of treatment.  If those abnormal cells continue to appear your doctor will recommend one of the treatments.  (Pause)

   Some women’s bodies can effectively fight the HPV virus.  Therefore, the problem can resolve itself.  The patient will still need regular annual Pap Smears, however, to check for future reoccurrence of the virus or abnormal cells.  If abnormal cells do appear again, the patient and her doctor will need to reconsider her options for treatment.