My 47 y/o moms pap smear showed cell changes. she smokes, drinks, has bn on the pill fr 15yrs & her mom had cervical cancer. should i be worried? :-(

Guide her to GYN: Sometimes adult children can improve health of their parents and themselves in the process. Scheduling a visit to a primary care or specialty obgyn doctor could be beneficial for the parent and the offspring. The evaluation and consultation might include information about ways to not only treat problems of the parent but also to prevent problems for multiple generations of women.

Depends: If her pap smear was abnormal, she should follow her doctors advice for the next step in testing. Smoking and oral contraceptives are both associated with cervical cancer, but many people have those risk factors and do not develop it.

No: Your risk for cervical cancer is not increased based on family history. Unlike cancers of the breast, ovary, and bowel which have some genetic predispositions - cervical cancer is not hereditary. Cervical cancer risk is related to history of std's (particularly hpv), numerous sexual partners, and to some extent tobacco abuse.