Cervical Cancer: Diagnosis
How is cervical cancer diagnosed?
Many women don't have symptoms of cervical cancer. Your provider is usually the first
to find signs of cervical cancer during a routine cervical cancer screening. During
your visit, your provider will do a physical exam. They’ll also ask you questions.
Be prepared to answer questions about yourself, such as:
If your provider thinks you might have cervical cancer, they will do exams and tests
to know for sure.
What tests might I need?
You may have one or more of the following tests:
Pelvic exam
A pelvic exam is done in your healthcare provider's office. To have the exam, you'll
need to remove your clothes from the waist down and put on a medical gown. You lie
on your back on an exam table, bend your knees, and then put your feet in supports
called stirrups at the end of the table. This position allows the provider to examine
your cervix, uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and rectum. A plastic
or metal tool called a speculum will be put inside your vagina. This lets the provider
see the upper portion of your vagina and your cervix. After removing the speculum,
the provider puts one or two gloved fingers into your vagina. The other hand is used
to press on your belly (abdomen). This is to feel other organs and check for lumps
(masses) or anything unusual.
A rectovaginal exam might also be done. The healthcare provider puts one finger in
your rectum and another finger in your vagina. This is to feel the tissue between
and around these two organs.
Sometimes cervical cancer is found during a pelvic exam. Your provider can’t see precancer
changes like dysplasia. But they may see invasive cancer during the exam. If something
suspicious is seen during the pelvic exam, more tests will be needed.
Pap and HPV tests
A Pap test is the standard way to see if there are any concerning cervical cell changes.
An HPV test shows if you have an infection with the types of HPV that are known to
be linked to cervical cancer.
Both tests can be done in the healthcare provider's office during a pelvic exam. The
HPV and Pap tests may feel uncomfortable, but they shouldn’t hurt. It takes just seconds
to do them.
The healthcare provider uses a tool called a speculum to open your vagina and examine
the upper part of your vagina and cervix. A small, soft brush, or spatula is used
to collect cells from your cervix and vagina. A specialized healthcare provider called
a pathologist looks at the cells under a microscope in a lab. This is done to check
for precancer, cancer, and HPV infection.
Colposcopy
This procedure lets the healthcare provider look very closely at your cervix using
a lighted magnifying tool called a colposcope. It can help find abnormal areas on
the cervix. First a tool called a speculum is put in the vagina to hold it open so
the provider can see the cervix. Then the healthcare provider looks closely at your
cervix through the binocular-like colposcope. The scope stays outside your body and
doesn't touch you. The cervix is washed with a vinegar-like solution that helps show
the changes on the cervix. Cells in areas that look different from the normal cervix
cells can be removed and sent to the lab for testing. This is called a biopsy.
Biopsy
There are different ways to do a cervical biopsy. All are done by taking out tissue
for testing. They include:
-
Endocervical curettage (endocervical scraping). This type of biopsy uses a small tool to scrape cells or tissue from the cervix. It
may be done during a colposcopy. It lets the healthcare provider get cells from an
area that can’t be seen.
-
Cone biopsy (conization). This is one of several types of biopsies used to collect larger pieces of tissue
from the cervix. To do it, a knife, laser, or heated wire (called a LEEP cone) may
be used to remove a bigger cone-shaped piece of the cervix. You may be given medicines
to put you in a deep sleep and not feel pain. Or the cervix may be numbed during this
type of biopsy. It may cause some cramping, bleeding, or other discharge. The area
usually heals quickly.
-
Punch biopsy. A small piece of tissue is removed from the cervix using a hollow instrument. More
than one area of the cervix may be biopsied.
Getting your test results
Your healthcare provider will contact you with your biopsy results. Your provider
will talk with you about other tests you may need if cervical cancer is found. Make
sure you understand the results and what follow-up you need.