The diagnosis of cervical cancer requires special procedures and tools, as most of the changes taking place cannot be seen with the naked eye. If a Pap smear shows abnormalities, a colposcopy will be performed. This is when the cervix is studied under magnification. There may also be biopsy of the cervical tissues where the tissue samples are sent to a lab for further examination. Other tests for cervical cancer include:
If the results of the above tests come back positive i.e. confirm the development of cervical cancer, the next step is to determine how far the cancer has spread or at what stage it has reached. To do this the following tests may be conducted: