Cervical Cancer Tests & Diagnosis Methods

Conditions & Diseases: Cancers

Cervical Cancer

Medical Tests and Diagnosis

Anamnesis (detailed medical review of past health state):
One of the first steps in establishing a cervical cancer diagnosis is a detailed and complex medical review of a patient's past health problems and general health state, family medical history, cervical cancer risk factors, and symptoms.

Physical examination
During the physical examination, the doctor checks the cervix for any possible abnormal growth or tumor. If necessary, a sample of cells are removed for laboratory analysis.

Cystoscopy
Cystoscopy is an investigation test that allows the doctor to examine the interior lining of the bladder and urethra for signs of cervical cancers. It is mostly used in women with large tumors. This procedure uses a thin, lighted instrument which has a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images on a special screen. In some cases, during a cystoscopy, the doctor can remove a tissue sample for a microscopic examination. Cystoscopy is performed under local or general anesthesia.

Proctoscopy
The purpose of this investigation test is to examine the anal cavity and rectum in patients with an invasive type of cervical cancer. It uses an instrument called a proctoscope, a short (10 inch or 25 cm long), straight, rigid, hollow metal tube, which has attached a small optical device that converge or diverge transmitted light into an image. The proctoscopy can establish whether or not the cancer has spread beyond the cervix, and the exact location or size of the new tumors.

Imaging tests

Chest x-ray: An x-ray test uses high energy electromagnetic radiation to penetrate the body and creates an image on a film. The chest x-ray is performed only in women with advanced stages of cervical cancer in order to establish whether or not the cancer has spread to lungs.
Computed tomography (CT): This imaging test is similar with an x-ray test, and creates a detailed cross-sectional image of the body. This test can identify abnormal mass tissues.
A CT scan is usually performed in two steps for a better diagnosis:
1). First, the targeted area is scanned without a contrast agent.
2). Second, the targeted area is scanned after a contrast agent was administrated.
This imaging test offers essential information regarding the tumor size, shape, and exact location, and also can outline if the cancer has spread to other organs or lymph nodes within the abdominal cavity.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI is an advanced technique that uses radio waves and strong magnets to reveal a complete image of a targeted area of the body. The energy from the radio waves is absorbed by the tissues and then released into a pattern that allows the cancer to be detected and diagnosed. This imaging test is particularly used to examine pelvic tumors, but it is also effective in outlining the tumor within the brain or spinal cord.
Positron emission tomography (PET): This technique uses radioactive glucose to help locate cancerous tumors. The glucose used in this diagnosis method contains a radioactive atom that is highly absorbed by the cancerous cells. The radioactivity is then detected by a special camera. A PET scan is efficient in determining whether or not the cancer has spread beyond the lung as well as the exact location where it has spread. This imaging test is used in patients with advanced stages of cervical cancer and provides useful information regarding the tumor size and location, and the cancer extent.
Intravenous urography (intravenous pyelogram or IVP): This imaging test is an x-ray of the urinary tract. The patient, prior to the x-ray, receives a dye agent which is removed from the bloodstream by the kidneys and is passed into the ureters and bladder. Intravenous urography is performed only in those patients that suffer from an advanced stage of cervical cancer, because it targets the pelvic lymph nodes. If the cervical cancer has spread to these lymph nodes, the tumor can compress or block an ureter.

Biopsy
Biopsy is a medical procedure where a tissue sample is removed from the tumor or abnormal looking surface of an organ. Usually, a doctor recommends a biopsy if the PAP test show abnormalities at the cellular level. The biopsy is removed by a gynecologist., who uses a colposcope to illuminate and magnify the surface of the cervix. The colposcope allows the doctor to better visualize the abnormal area and to remove a small section of the cervix surface. Sometimes, the gynecologist uses the Schiller Test, where the cervix surface is coated with an iodine substance. This substance makes the normal tissue turn brown, while the cancerous tissues turn yellow or white.

If the diagnosis is not clear, the doctor can recommend a core biopsy. This type of biopsy removes a larger, cone-shaped sample of tissue. This type of biopsy can be removed through a procedure called loop excision. This procedure uses a thin wire loop passed by a low intensity electric current to remove the sample. In some cases, core biopsy is a treatment approach because it can effectively remove the precancerous cells and early cancers.

Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com