If cervical cancer is suspected, you'll be referred to a gynaecologist (a specialist in treating conditions of the female reproductive system).
Referral will be recommended if the results of your Smear test suggest that there are abnormalities in the cells of your cervix. However, in most cases, the abnormalities don't mean you have cervical cancer.
You may also be referred to a gynaecologist if you have abnormal vaginalbleeding, or if your GP has noticed a growth inside your cervix during an examination.
The sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia is one of the most common reasons why women experience unusual vaginal bleeding. Your GP may recommend that you're tested for it first before being referred. Testing for chlamydia involves taking a small tissue sample from your cervix, or carrying out a urine test.
If you've had an abnormal cervical screening test result, or your symptoms suggest that you may have cervical cancer, your gynaecologist will usually carry out a colposcopy . This is an examination to look for abnormalities in your cervix.
During a colposcopy, a small microscope with a light source at the end (colposcope) is used. As well as examining your cervix, your gynaecologist may remove a small tissue sample ( biopsy ) so that it can be checked under a microscope for cancerous cells.
In some cases, a minor operation called a cone biopsy may also be carried out. The operation is carried out in hospital, usually under a local anaesthetic .
During a cone biopsy, a small, cone-shaped section of your cervix will be removed so that it can be examined under a microscope for cancerous cells. You may experience vaginal bleeding for up to four weeks after the procedure. You may also have period-like pains.
If the results of the biopsy suggest you have cervical cancer and there's a risk that the cancer may have spread, you'll probably need to have some further tests to assess how widespread the cancer is. These tests may include:
After all of the tests have been completed and your test results are known, it should be possible to tell you what stage cancer you have. Staging is a measurement of how far the cancer has spread. The higher the stage, the further the cancer has spread. The staging for cervical cancer is as follows:
Cancer of the cervix often has no symptoms in its early stages. If you do have symptoms, the most common is unusual vaginal bleeding, which can occur after sex, in between periods or after the menopause.
Read more about the symptoms of cervical cancer including unusual vaginal bleeding, pain or discomfort during sex and an unpleasant smelling vaginal discharge.
In almost all cases, cervical cancer is the result of a change in cell DNA caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
Early diagnosis of cervical cancer is crucial. Read about the tests you'll have to discover whether you have cancer and the tests used to find out whether your cancer has spread.
Treatment for cervical cancer depends on how far the cancer has spread. As cancer treatments are often complex, hospitals use multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to treat cervical cancer and tailor the treatment programme to the individual.
Read about the complications of cervical cancer, includingpossible side effects of treatment, such as early menopause, narrowing of the vagina and lymphoedema.