women s health issues
Cervical Cancer
Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer
Papanicolaou (Pap) tests Biopsy Routine Screening for Cervical Cancer can detect abnormal, precancerous cells (dysplasia) on the surface of the cervix. Doctors check women with precancerous cells at regular intervals. Dysplasia can be treated, thus helping prevent cancer. If a growth or another abnormal area is seen on the cervix during a pelvic examination or if a Pap test detects precancerous or cancerous cells, a biopsy is done. Usually, doctors do a procedure called colposcopy using an instrument with a binocular magnifying lens ( Colposcopy ), inserted through the vagina, to examine the cervix and to choose the best biopsy site. Two different types of test are done: Cervical biopsy:A tiny piece of the cervix, selected using the colposcope, is removed. Endocervical curettage:Tissue is scraped from inside the cervix. These tests are similar to having a Pap test. They usually cause only mild pain and a small amount of bleeding. If the diagnosis is not clear, acone biopsyis done to remove a larger cone-shaped piece of tissue. Usually, a thin wire loop with an electrical current running through it is used. This procedure is called the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). It requires only a local anesthetic. Alternative techniques are to use a scalpel (cold knife) or a laser (a highly focused beam of light). These procedures require an operating room and usually a general anesthetic. If cervical cancer is diagnosed, its exact size and locations (its stage) are determined. Staging begins with a physical examination of the pelvis and a chest x-ray. Usually, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a combination of CT and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (PET) is done to determine whether the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or to distant parts of the body. If these procedures are not available, doctors may do other imaging procedures to check specific organs, such as cystoscopy (bladder), sigmoidoscopy (colon), or IV urography (urinary tract). Doctors usually also check for spread to the lymph nodes by doing imaging tests or a biopsy. Knowing whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and how many lymph nodes are involved helps doctors predict the person's outcome and plan treatment. Stages of cervical cancer range from I (the earliest) to IV (advanced). Staging is based on how far the cancer has spread: Stage I: The cancer is confined to the cervix. Stage II: The cancer has spread outside the uterus, to the upper two thirds of the vagina or to tissues outside the uterus, but is still within the pelvis (which contains the internal reproductive organs, bladder, and rectum). Stage III: The cancer has spread throughout the pelvis and/or the lower third of the vagina and/or blocks the ureters and/or causes a kidney to malfunction and/or spreads to the lymph nodes near the aorta (the largest artery in the body). Stage IV: The cancer has spread outside the pelvis and/or to the bladder or rectum or to distant organs. 