What does ASC-US mean on a Pap smear of the cervix? ASC-US stands for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. It means that abnormal cells were found on the surface of your cervix when the Pap smear was performed. Does ASC-US on a Pap smear mean cancer? No. ASC-US does not mean cancer. However, it …
Read More »
A fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a medical procedure that uses a thin needle and suction to remove a small amount of tissue or fluid from an abnormal area of the body. Doctors commonly perform this procedure on abnormal areas of tissue in the thyroid gland, salivary glands, pancreas, breast, lung, lymph nodes, and …
Read More »
The transformation zone is a part of the cervix where the squamous cells that make up the ectocervix meet the glandular cells that make up the endocervix. In this area of the cervix, the glandular cells that make up the endocervix are slowly replaced by squamous cells. This process is called squamous metaplasia. As a …
Read More »
What does the term negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) mean? Negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) means that no pre-cancerous or cancerous cells were seen in your Pap smear. It is a normal result. How do pathologists make this diagnosis? The diagnosis of NILM is made after a Pap smear of the …
Read More »
What does “suspicious for follicular neoplasm” mean? Suspicious for follicular neoplasm is a term pathologists use to describe an abnormal growth in the thyroid gland. It is a preliminary diagnosis that includes both non-cancerous and cancerous conditions. These conditions include: Adenomatoid nodule – Adenomatoid nodule is a non-cancerous type of growth in the thyroid gland. …
Read More »
What is a Pap test? The Pap test is a screening test that looks for abnormal cells in the vaginal portion of the uterine cervix. It is called a screening test because it is designed to detect disease before a person experiences any symptoms. The test was named after Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou who invented the …
Read More »
