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Screening & Diagnosis

Gynecological Cancers

The most effective way to catch gynecologic cancers early is to have regular checkups with your gynecologist. There, you can tell your doctor about any symptoms you’re noticing and receive routine gynecologic cancer screenings. Holy Cross Health is one of the biggest providers of women’s health services in the region.

Screening

As with any cancer, early detection and diagnosis are key. Cervical cancer has very effective screening options.

The two most important screening tests for cervical cancer are:

  • A Pap test (also called a Pap smear), which collects a small sample of cervical cells to look for changes or abnormalities. This test can detect pre-cancerous cervical cells as well as cervical cancer.
  • The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test, which can identify the high-risk types of HPV that are known to cause cervical cancer. This test may be performed during the Pap test in women 30 and older.

Currently, there are no recommended screening tests for women who do not have symptoms of uterine or ovarian cancer and are not at high risk.

Diagnostic Imaging

Imaging procedures create pictures of areas inside your body that help your doctor see whether a tumor is present, what type of tumor it is and how advanced the cancer is.

  • An ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image. Ultrasounds are safe, painless, and do not use radiation. An ultrasound may show whether a lump is a solid tumor, filled with fluid (a cyst) or a mixture of both. Ultrasound technology can guide doctors in doing biopsies or treating tumors.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, uses magnetic fields to create an image. Contrast “dye” may be injected during the study. An MRI can show blood flow to the tumor and may be more definitive than an ultrasound. An MRI can help the radiologist look for tumors when GYN cancer is suspected or after cancer has been diagnosed. 

Biopsy

Many lumps or abnormalities are not cancer. However, in many cases, it’s hard to tell whether a lump is cancer or not just by looking at imaging. A biopsy is a procedure that removes some cells from a suspicious area so that they can be examined under a microscope to see if the cells are cancerous.