Further tests for vulval cancer

You may have some of the following tests to help the doctors to stage  | the cancer and plan your treatment.

Blood test Back to top

A sample of your blood is taken to check your general health, to count the number of blood cells in your blood (full blood count) and to see how well your kidneys and liver are working.

Chest x-ray Back to top

This is taken to check that your lungs and heart are healthy and to ensure there is no cancer in the lungs.

Computerised tomography scan (a CT scan) Back to top

This test may be used to check whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or to other organs close to the vulva.

A CT scan takes a series of x-rays, which builds up a three-dimensional picture of the inside of the body. The scan is painless but takes 10–30 minutes. CT scans use a small amount of radiation, which will be very unlikely to harm you and will not harm anyone you come into contact with.

You will be asked not to eat or drink for at least four hours before the scan.

You may be given a drink or injection of a dye which allows particular areas to be seen more clearly. This may make you feel hot all over for a few minutes. If you are allergic to iodine or have asthma you could have a more serious reaction to the injection, so it’s important to let your doctor know beforehand.

 

 

You will probably be able to go home as soon as the scan is over.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan Back to top

This test is similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism instead of x-rays to build up a detailed picture of areas of your body. Before the scan you may be asked to complete and sign a checklist. This is to make sure that it’s safe for you to have an MRI scan (because the scanner is a powerful magnet). The checklist asks about any metal implants you may have, for example a pacemaker, surgical clips, bone pins etc.

You should also tell your doctor if you have ever worked with metal or in the metal industry, as very tiny fragments of metal can sometimes lodge in the body. If you do have any metal in your body it’s likely that you won’t be able to have an MRI scan. In this situation another type of scan can be used.

Before having the scan, you’ll be asked to remove any metal belongings including jewellery. Some people are given an injection of dye into a vein in the arm, which doesn’t usually cause discomfort. This is called a contrast medium and can help the images from the scan to show up more clearly.

During the test you will be asked to lie very still on a couch inside a long cylinder (tube) for about 30 minutes. It is painless but can be slightly uncomfortable, and some people feel a bit claustrophobic during the scan. It’s also noisy, but you’ll be given earplugs or headphones.

You will be able to hear, and speak to, the person operating the scanner.

PET (Positron emission tomography) scan Back to top

This test may occasionally be used to look for signs of if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or elsewhere. A PET scan uses low-dose radioactive glucose (a type of sugar) to measure the activity of cells in different parts of the body. A very small amount of the mildly radioactive substance is injected into a vein, usually in your arm. Tumours normally absorb more of the glucose and the radioactivity shows up on the scan.

PET scans aren’t available in all hospitals, and you may have to travel to a hospital some distance away from your home to have one.

Examination under anaesthetic (EUA) Back to top

This is an examination of the vulva carried out under a general anaesthetic. It allows the doctor to examine you thoroughly to check the extent of the cancer without causing you any discomfort.

Tests to check the lymph nodes for cancer Back to top

You may have additional tests to check the lymph nodes in your groin for cancer. You can read more about these tests| .