The cancer few women know.

Screening

What are the ways uterine cancer can be found early?

Fortunately, there is an early warning symptom for uterine cancer.  Most women with uterine cancer have abnormal vaginal bleeding.  This means they might have very heavy periods, bleed between their periods, bleed after they have gone through menopause, bleed after having sexual intercourse, or pain during sexual intercourse.  If you have any of these types of bleeding, you should contact your doctor right away. 

Your doctor can perform several types of exams to determine the cause of the abnormal vaginal bleeding.  Your doctor will need to do a pelvic exam.  In this exam, your doctor will give you a gown and ask you to undress.  You will have a sheet to cover yourself during the exam.  You will lie down on an examination table and place your feet in stirrups located on either side of the table. Your doctor will then place two gloved fingers inside your vagina and press on your lower abdomen with the other hand.  The purpose of this test is to determine the size of your uterus and to feel for any hard areas.  Even without symptoms, you should have a pelvic exam done once a year beginning three years after having sexual intercourse or no later than age 21.

Your doctor may need to remove a small sample of the lining of your uterus to check for cancer cells.  This is called a biopsy.  The tissue will be examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells.  This procedure is similar to a pelvic exam.  Your doctor will insert a speculum into your vagina in order to see the opening of your uterus.  This lower portion of the uterus that contains the opening is called the cervix.  The doctor will insert a narrow straw-like instrument through this opening and remove a small sample of the lining of the uterus for examination.  This test causes mild discomfort but not enough to require medicine to numb the area.