Early screening tests are recommended as the one indispensable tool to help in the fight against cervical cancer. While early-stage cervical cancer has no signs, the later stages include vaginal bleeding that occurs post-sexual intercourse, after menopause or between periods; a bloody and watery vaginal discharge that may have a foul odor; or pain in the pelvis, particularly if it happens during intercourse.
Diagnosing Cervical Cancer
A doctor will do a full physical checkup to determine whether the patient has cervical cancer, including an examination of the cervix with a colposcope, a magnifying tool that looks for abnormal cells and can capture a few for examination via a punch biopsy, which can pinch off some tissue; or via an endocervical curettage, which uses a spoon-shaped instrument or brush to scrape the cervix for a tissue sample.
Other options during the screening can include a pap test, wherein the doctor brushes and scrapes cells from the cervix to be examined in a laboratory for abnormalities; and an HPV DNA test, which will take cells from the cervix and test them for HPV types that may lead to cancer. This is usually done with women age 30 and older but may be recommended for younger women who show abnormal test results.
Doctors may opt for an electrical wire loop, which uses a low-voltage wire to obtain tissue samples (this can be done in the doctor's office using local anesthesia), or a cone biopsy, which is typically performed in a hospital and obtains deeper samples of tissue for examination.
Once it is determined that cervical cancer is present, the next step is to determine the progression of the disease. This is done through a determination called staging, and it will determine the course of the treatment.