Tests for Cervical Cancer — Page 5

Additional tests if cervical cancer is diagnosed

If a biopsy reveals cancer, other tests may not be necessary if cervical cancer is caught at early.

Based on the stage of the disease and a physical exam, your doctor may order one or more of these tests to see if your cancer has spread:

• Proctoscopy is a visual inspection of your rectum with a proctoscope. The lighted tube is inserted into your rectum to check for spread of cervical cancer.
• Cystoscopy allows your doctor to check inside your urethra and bladder to see if cancer has spread to those areas. A cystoscope, a slender tube with a lens and a light, is placed into the bladder through your urethra. Biopsy samples can be removed during the procedure for testing. Cystoscopy can be performed under local or general anesthesia.
• Imaging studies can reveal if cervical cancer has spread to other parts of your body, and the information will help your doctor work out a treatment plan that’s right for your case. For example, if your tumor is large or your doctor thinks cancer has spread, you may have computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), depending on what’s best for your situation. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can also locate cancer that has spread to lymph glands or to an unknown area, the American Cancer Society points out. Pet scans use a form of radioactive glucose that cancer cells absorb, enabling a special camera to pinpoint where cervical cancer cells have spread.

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