According to the American Cancer Society, no recommended screening tests or examinations are available at this time that can detect most uterine sarcomas in women without symptoms (asymptomatic).
The Pap test can occasionally find some early uterine sarcomas, especially:
but most cases (especially leiomyosarcomas ) are not detected by this test.
The possibility of uterine sarcoma is usually suggested by certain symptoms. These symptoms do not specifically indicate that a woman has a uterine sarcoma. In fact, they are more often caused by noncancerous changes in the uterus, by pre-cancerous overgrowth of the endometrium, or by an endometrial carcinoma.
Doctors use one or more tests to distinguish among these possibilities. Most carcinosarcomas and endometrial stromal sarcomas are diagnosed during evaluation of these symptoms.
If symptoms suggest cancer, the following tests may be run:
- Endometrial biopsy
- Hysteroscopy
- Dilation and curettage (D & C)
Various imaging tests are also helpful:
- Transvaginal ultrasound
- Computed tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- Chest x-rays (to be sure the cancer has not spread)
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