The first step in finding out if you have cervical cancer, as doctors suggest, is through a pap smear test. During the test, the doctor gently scrapes the outside of the vagina and cervix to take samples of cells. The cells will then be taken to the laboratory for testing.
Other than a pap smear test, here are some other ways Cervical Cancer is diagnosed.
Colposcopy
If you have certain symptoms suggesting cancer, your doctor may recommend a colposcopy. During the procedure, a speculum will be placed inside the vagina and use a colposcope to examine the cervix. The doctor will then apply a weak solution of acetic acid to the cervix to see any abnormal areas easily.
A colposcopic examination is exactly like having a pap smear test done except that cervix is examined under a strong light through a magnified scope from outside the body. This allows the cervix to be examined for areas that may appear to be the source of the abnormal cells that were picked up on the pap smear. If there is an area that is suspicious for pre-cancerous or cancerous change, a small portion of these abnormal areas on the cervix may be collected in a procedure known as a punch biopsy. If you do undergo this procedure, you may expect some momentary discomfort and vaginal spotting for a day or so after the procedure. The tissue that is collected is important and sent to the lab for examination under a microscope to determine the extent of pre-cancerous change.
If the biopsy result shows that there is indeed an area of pre-cancer on the cervix, your specialist may recommend a simple office procedure to arrest or stop the pre-cancerous change from worsening and eventually becoming cancer. These simple office procedures can either be ablative, which means that abnormal areas on the cervix are destroyed, or excision, which means that the abnormal areas are separated from the normal cervix by fine cutting or excision. Office procedures are simple, effective and do not require anaesthesia or hospitalisation.
Cone Biopsy
During a biopsy, some tissue in the cervix will be removed for examination under a microscope. Other tests can only suggest cancer, but only a biopsy can give a clear-cut answer.