INTRODUCTION:
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignancy of the female reproductive system with over half a million women diagnosed, and over 300,000 deaths attributed to it globally each year1,2. The important risk factors in the genesis of cervical cancer are early coitarche, infection with high-risk HPV (hr HPV), other sexually transmitted infections, age > 30 years, multiparity, multiple sexual partners and compromised host defense 3,4. There are over 40 types of hr HPV identified as inhabiting the female genital tract that can potentially cause cervical cancer 5,6. Cervical cancer has a long precancerous period, during which it may be detected and even effectively treated 6.
The Bethesda system classifies a continuum of cytological abnormalities of the premalignant lesion in the Pap smear test. This nomenclature has replaced the earlier term Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN I, II and III, progressively riskier for developing cancer) with Squamous Intraepithelial Neoplasia (SIL), categorizing them into (a) Atypical Squamous Cells (ASC)-indicator of HPV infection, (b) Low grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (LSIL) – cervical cells show changes that are mildly abnormal (c) High grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL) cervical cells with severe changes. The ASC category is further divided into Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and Atypical squamous cells – cannot exclude HSIL (ASC-H)6-8.
HPV vaccinations, local ablative methods like cryotherapy and cold coagulation, excisional methods such as large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ), cone excision and hysterectomy are the approaches followed by conventional medicine as prevention and treatment modalities, but they seem to have unfavorable effect especially on the further reproductive outcomes, even when treated with conserving fertility as the goal 9. This is of significance as the average age of women undergoing these treatments coincides with the average age of first child globally 9.
Previous case reports of homeopathy in cancer cases have provided evidence for beneficial outcomes from classical homeopathy10. Here, we present a case of LSIL treated with homeopathy. The approach not only helped the pre-invasive disease but also improved the comorbidities.