It is called pre-cancerous cells. Most of the time cause by HPV (human papilloma virus). HPV can cause either cancerous cells (either active or pre-) or it can cause genital warts. I was diagnosed with HPV a few years ago, I had developed pre-cancerous cells in my cervix. I had to have a out-patient surgical procedure called a LEEP. This is where the doctor takes a very thin razor that resemble a loop at the end of a metal rod, and basically takes of the top layer of tissue. It's basically a biopsy. And then follow up testing to ensure they removed all of the cancerous cells. If they do not catch it in time, it can develop into active cancer cells and could potentially spread to the uterus and ovaries. If this occurs, a hysterectomy is common practice to remove all cancer cells from the body.