I have dealt with cervicitis for a year now. I have been on antibiotics and yeast ointments. My gynecologist has suggested freezing the tissue of the cervix. The doctor claims that it is not cancer, since I have had normal Pap smears at least every six months. Is freezing the only way to remedy this, or should I consider other options?

--Susan

If your workup has been thorough, and all cultures have been negative, freezing is one of the better options for dealing with chronic cervicitis. Cervicitis, or inflammation of the cervix, may lead to a ongoing discharge or even bleeding after intercourse. If you have not had any bleeding, then it is safe to proceed with the freezing -- called cryotherapy -- now.

If you have had any abnormal bleeding, I would strongly recommend colposcopy (looking at your cervix with a microscope) and biopsy first, despite your normal Pap smears. Pap smears, while useful, are just screening tests, and they may miss abnormal or even cancerous cells. I recall a patient of mine several years ago who had chronic discharge and bleeding after intercourse; all of her Pap smears were normal, but I did a biopsy at the time I did cryotherapy, mainly because I had a "funny feeling." The biopsy was positive for cancer, and if I had not done it, she would not have gotten appropriate treatment for the early cervical cancer.

If cancer has been definitely ruled out, cryotherapy can be effective at decreasing the discharge. Some women just have overexuberant cervical glands that produce a large amount of secretions. Cryotherapy freezes and destroys some of these glands, diminishing the amount of discharge. Be forewarned: as the tissues heal from cryotherapy, there tends to be a very large amount of very watery discharge for a couple of weeks.