Perfect Paps

by Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc (Hons), ND

Have you ever had an abnormal PAP smear? Want to know how to prevent it from happening again? Naturopathic medicine can offer treatment and prevention of abnormal pap smears to prevent a recurrence.

Some facts about PAPs and cervical cancer:   

• Over 90% of cervical cancers can be cured when detected early and treated.

• Cervical dysplasia is not cervical cancer.

• Treatment of cervical dysplasia by a LEEP procedure can weaken the cervix causing difficulty in maintaining a subsequent pregnancy.

• The following can increase your risk of cervical cancer:

  1. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) - almost all cases of cervical cancer are linked to infection with HPV.

  2. Smoking - women who smoke are at a higher risk.

  3. Weakened Immune System - since HPV is a virus a healthy immune system helps a woman get rid of the HPV infection.

  4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) - infection with other sexually transmitted diseases like herpes can increase the risk.

My Naturopathic Approach

The best medicine is always prevention: quit smoking, strengthen your immune system and always use condoms.  

Liver detoxification can help clear out excess estrogen and estrogen mimickers.  Too much estrogen or estrogen dominance can provoke reproductive cancers.  Estrogen mimicking chemicals from plastics, pesticides and pollution, also called xenoestrogens, can further augment problems related to estrogen.

Antioxidants - Women with cervical dysplasia have been found to have lower levels of antioxidants like vitamins A, C, E and selenium.

Folic acid - Folic acid helps prevent DNA damage, genetic mutations that can lead to cancer.  Dysplasia can be treated and prevented with high doses of folic acid.

Vitamin A - vitamin A is very important for mucous membrane tissue, that is the tissue that lines the vagina, respiratory tract and digestive tract.  It is also a powerful antioxidant to prevent free radical damage and can be used locally to health cervical tissue on its own or after conventional dysplasia treatments. 

As for the conventional approaches, I much prefer the prevention and improve immune function approach because there are no risks involved and there are many benefits. Naturopathic treatment can be used in conjunction with conventional treatment to expedite the healing process or after conventional treatment to prevent recurrences.

The Benefits to My Approach

1. You not only remove unhealthy cells, but you also repair and heal the tissue

2. You address all aspects of your health that may have caused or contributed to the abnormal PAP smear

3. You prevent future recurrences

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here may not apply precisely to your individual situation. Diagnostic and therapeutic choices must always be tailored to the individual patient's circumstances, and consultation with a licensed naturopathic physician should be undertaken before following any of the treatment strategies suggested in this web site.