The short answer
LSIL and HSIL are Pap test results that describe abnormal squamous cells on the cervix. NCI says LSIL means low-grade changes, usually from HPV, that usually go away without treatment. HSIL means moderately or severely abnormal cells that could become cancer if not treated. This page explains both and what to ask your care team.
LSIL is a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. NCI says LSILs usually go away without treatment.
HSIL is a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. NCI says these cells could become cancer in the future if not treated.
NCI says both are usually caused by HPV infection.
NCI says your provider will likely ask you to come back for a colposcopy after HSIL. Ask your care team about your next step.
On this page
Choose how you want to read this
The whole article, with every detail and caution.
This page is for anyone whose Pap test result says LSIL or HSIL. It explains what they mean and what to ask your care team.
What "squamous intraepithelial lesion" means
Squamous cells are thin, flat cells on the surface of the cervix. A squamous intraepithelial lesion, or SIL, is an abnormal growth of these cells. NCI says SILs are "usually caused by chronic infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV)." They can be low grade or high grade.
LSIL: low grade
NCI says LSIL means "there are low-grade changes that are usually caused by an HPV infection." The cells look slightly abnormal. NCI says LSILs "usually go away on their own without treatment, but sometimes they can become cancer." LSIL is sometimes called mild dysplasia.
NCI says your health care provider will likely ask you to come back for more testing to make sure there are not more serious (high-grade) changes.
HSIL: high grade
NCI says HSIL means "there are moderately or severely abnormal cervical cells that could become cancer in the future if not treated." HSIL is sometimes called moderate or severe dysplasia. NCI says your health care provider will likely ask you to come back for a colposcopy.
Pap result versus biopsy result
LSIL and HSIL are often Pap test results, though NCI notes they can also be found on a biopsy. If a biopsy is taken during colposcopy, the biopsy result may use the terms CIN 1, CIN 2, or CIN 3. See What Do CIN 1, 2, and 3 Mean?.
Ask these before you leave
- Was my result LSIL or HSIL?
- What was my HPV result?
- What is my next step, and when?
Related pages
See What Does the Bethesda System Mean on a Pap Test? and What Does HPV 16 or 18 Positive Mean?.
Sources
- https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/understanding-cervical-changes
- https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/lsil
- https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/hsil
- https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/squamous-intraepithelial-lesion
Common questions
What does LSIL mean?
Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. NCI says the cells look slightly abnormal, are usually caused by HPV, and usually go away without treatment.
What does HSIL mean?
High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. NCI says the cells are moderately or severely abnormal and could become cancer if not treated.
Are LSIL and HSIL cancer?
No. They are abnormal cell changes. NCI says they may become cancer if not treated, so follow-up matters.
Questions to ask your doctor
Being prepared helps you get the most out of your appointments. Save or print these questions.
Tap a question to save it to your list (kept on this device).
Your next step
Look up related pathology, imaging, biomarker, and treatment-response language.
Talk with a trained specialist or navigator
Cancer Explained provides educational guidance, but does not replace trained specialists, social workers, or your medical team.
Talk to a trained cancer information specialist
Free, confidential assistance from NCI Cancer Information Service via phone, chat, or email.
Contact your oncology team
Locate after-hours contact numbers, portal messages, or urgent triage phone lines.
Find a patient navigator
Get one-on-one help with appointments, logistics, translation, and care coordination.
Find a genetic counselor
Discuss inherited mutation risk, family history, and genetic testing options.
Find an oncology social worker
Access emotional counseling, family support groups, and mental health resources.
Find a financial navigator
Locate copay assistance foundations, grant programs, and lodging/travel support.
Find a clinical-trial specialist
Search matching studies and speak with NCI trial information specialists.
Get urgent help
Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during chemo, severe pain, or trouble breathing: call your cancer care team right away, day or night. Call 911 for an emergency.
Know someone who needs this?
Plenty of people are looking for something like this and do not know where to start. If this would help a friend or someone you love, send it on — we have written an opening line so you do not have to stare at an empty message. You can change every word of it.
Your message is written and sent in your own email or messaging app — we never see who you send it to, and nothing is added to any list.
Plain-language explanation of the published sources cited on this page. AI-assisted, source-checked, not clinician-reviewed.
Sources last checked: 2026-10-02 what this meansLast updated: 2026-09-27Next planned review: 2027-09-27
Review details and limits
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status — Source checked. This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
General education — varies by person. Answers genuinely differ between people. This page explains what commonly varies and points you to your care team for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
Read more about our editorial process, our use of AI, and our corrections policy.
Spotted a problem? Report an error — a factual mistake, broken or outdated source, confusing wording, or anything that seems unsafe. Please do not include names, medical record numbers, dates of birth, addresses, or other identifying medical information in your report.
After using this page, do you understand what to do next?
Anonymous — we only record the answer, never who gave it.