The outer cervix can be painted with an iodine solution which highlights abnormal areas. Biopsies are taken of these abnormal areas. Colposcopy can only see surface cells, not ones inside the cervical canal. If a very thin cancer is found, this procedure can be both diagnostic and curative, since the cancer is being cut out. Under Anesthesia is done for any larger cervical cancer, to ascertain how large it is and if it has spread.
General anesthesia relaxes the pelvic muscles so the doctor can feel deep structures.
A proctoscope is inserted up the rectum and a cystoscope up the urethra to look for spread to these areas. Sometimes a hysterectomy may be done for a smaller cancer if the woman has no further desire for child-bearing. CT scan helps tell how large a mass is, and what structures it has invaded into. Other elaborate tests like bone scan or liver-spleen scan are only used for symptoms in these areas. Cancer may spread to the cervix from other areas.