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Is Dysplasia Contagious?

A diagnosis that contains the word dysplasia, to some, incites great fear. Often associated with cancer, dysplasia is in fact, in many cases a pre-cursor to certain types of cancer. Dysplasia is more often a good discovery than first thought, as it can lead to its removal or prevention of a more serious medical concern like cancer. Dysplasia is not a condition that is "caught" and it does not spread from one to another. It is the presence of abnormalities in cells affecting particular areas of the body.

  1. Identification

    • Dysplasia is not contagious. Rather, it is a condition where cells begin to take on an abnormal form and is often associated with pre-cancerous or cancerous cells. There are instances where dysplasia can occur as a result of a contagious disease, such as human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection. HPV almost always causes cervical dysplasia in women, and can lead to cervical cancer.

    Effects

    • Dysplasia continues to spread as the abnormal cells from a particular disease reproduce. Dysplasia can affect any area of the body. The effect of dysplasia is often a development into cancer. The most common types of cancer associated with dysplasia as a pre-cursor to developing cancer is cervical. All cancers show signs of dysplasia. When dysplasia is found anywhere other than the cervix, it is generally detected upon discovery of full-blown cancer. In organs or other areas of the body not normally checked on a regular basis, such as the pancreas or esophagus, discovery of dysplasia is rare.

    Significance

    • Cervical dysplasia is often discovered during a woman's yearly pap test. If signs of HPV are present, such as warts or lesions, dysplasia may be found sooner. Men are rarely affected by dysplasia when contracting HPV, but women almost always are. As with any type of cancer, early detection and treatment can often remit or cure some cancers. A diagnosis of dysplasia is not a diagnosis of cancer, only that abnormal cells exist and can be a pre-cursor to a more serious condition.

    Treatments

    • Depending where dysplasia is occurring, various treatments are available. In the esophagus, for example, it is often a wait and see condition. In some areas dysplasia never spreads, but replicates slowly, and can be successfully monitored or removed. Laser therapy can be an alternative to surgical removal of dysplasia.

    Misconceptions

    • Dysplasia is a condition that usually continues to grow. As a result the idea that dysplasia itself--abnormal cells--is contagious or can be transmitted from person to person, is often formed. This is not the case concerning dysplasia.

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