Can Ultrasound Machines be used to Diagnose Uterine Cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society, over 40,000 new cases of uterine cancer diagnosed each year, so it is important for high risk patients to be evaluated thoroughly.
In addition to the normal routine of colposcopy and ECC, women who already have some of the risk factors or symptoms of uterine cancer should ask the doctor to perform an ultrasound scan of the uterus. But diagnosing endometrial cancer (also known as uterine cancer) can be difficult. It doesn’t always show up in a pap test, and unless the test comes back showing atypical glandular cells (AGC), many patients can go undiagnosed for years.
Even when a patient’s Pap smear shows evidence of AGC, gynecologists often treat this result with less respect than it deserves. Unlike squamous cell atypia (the more common form of abnormal pap result), glandular abnormalities can be a sign of more advanced lesions in the uterus, or even an existing cancer, which may be difficult to find using the traditional follow-up tests.
Uterine cancers can also grow more rapidly than squamous cell cancers of the cervix. An ultrasound machine can be used to detect the elusive early stage uterine cancer known as adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS).
Using an ultrasound machine, doctors can get a more detailed internal picture of a patient’s uterus and provide an accurate diagnosis through sonohysterography. This type of scanning, which uses a transvaginal probe, allows for a more in-depth evaluation of the uterine cavity. It can be used to examine scarring, benign fibroid tumors, cancerous tumors, cysts or polyps that may be present within the uterus.
Ultimately, it will be the results of a biopsy, colposcopy and ultrasound scan together that gives doctors a clear picture of the patient’s condition, as well as the recommended course of treatment. If endometrial cancer is diagnosed, patients normally undergo a complete hysterectomy.
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