How to Test for Cervical Cancer

According to the website Medline Plus, cervical cancer risk increases with sexual activity---the earlier a woman begins having sex and the more partners she has, the higher her risk for developing cervical cancer. Fortunately, most cases of cervical cancer can be detected early through regular visits to the gynecologist and utilization of pap smears. Where there is some hint of abnormality in the cervix, additional tests are required to properly rule out cervical cancer as a threat.

Instructions

• 1

  Schedule regular appointments with your gynecologist to help protect yourself from developing an advanced case of cervical cancer. Regular testing can help to locate cervical cancer in its pre-cancerous form, leading to an astonishing five-year survival rate of 92 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. You should be regularly screened for cervical cancer no more than three years after you become sexually active.

• 2

  Conduct further visual testing where a pap smear shows an abnormal result. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the next step in the line toward assessing cervical cancer visually involves a procedure known as a colposcopy. This procedure consists of using a small scope to allow the doctor to examine the cervix itself for any signs of abnormalities.

• 3

  Conduct tissue analysis where visual testing or pap smear results suggest the presence of cancer. There are a number of different ways to extract tissue from the cervix, including a traditional biopsy (excision of a small area of the suspect area). Other tissue-removal methods include the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (using electrically charged wire to remove a thin section of the cervix), endocervical curettage (using a small, spoon-like instrument to scoop out a sample of tissue), or, for larger suspect areas, a cone-biopsy (removing a thicker, cone-shaped amount of tissue). These tests all have the ability to positively identify cervical cancer.