Nine years ago, as a healthy 23 year old, I was leading a fairly typical stressful life, working long hours, rushing to Yoga classes and weight training, and conducting a longstanding but tumultuous relationship with my boyfriend. I'd been on and off the Pill since the age of 18. I regarded myself as very healthy. I was shocked therefore to find a smear test result which showed abnormal cells stage 3, plus the dreaded wart virus.

I was put on the waiting list to receive usual laser or freezing treatment to remove the cells, but then I spoke to a fellow sufferer. She'd received laser and freezing treatment for removal of abnormal cells several times. Each time the cells had returned.Soon after, I was introduced to a homeopath who had experience in successfully treating patients with abnormal cells. The whole approach of the first appointment was a tonic to me; I was reassured by the meticulous approach of the homeopath, who took one and a half hours to find out about me, from head to foot.

It was the best decision I ever made. Two years later: no abnormal cells and no wart virus. Furthermore, I no longer get colds or flu or sore throats at all, even though I'm a teacher and am exposed to everything going round.

My disease pattern and whole way of life suggested to me that I was a prime cancer candidate. Laser and freezing may well remove abnormal cells temporarily but no cure takes place. The sensible thing about homeopathy is that it treats the person, not the disease. L W, Wirral.

Amen. We would only remind readers that another risk factor is the inaccuracy of the smear test itself. We recently took a call from another young subscriber, in her twenties, who had been diagnosed as having stage 2-3 abnormal cells, and was scheduled for an operation to have them frozen or burned out. We advised her to have a second smear test at another laboratory. Lo and behold, her new test showed that the first test was wrong and her problem turned out to be a simple infection.