Support Services We understand that life is different after a diagnosis of cancer 
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In order to choose the most appropriate treatment for you, your cancer must be correctly diagnosed.
If your pap smear results are abnormal, your gynecologist will do a biopsy, which means taking a sample of tissue from your cervix. A pathologist will examine this sample under the microscope to determine if there are cancer or precancer cells present.
If the diagnosis is not clear, you should see an experienced gynecologic surgeon to perform a "cone biopsy." In this procedure, a cone-shaped sample of the cervix is removed. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, this takes about ten minutes under local anesthetic. More than 90 percent of cervical cancers are effectively removed by doing a cone biopsy, and patients don't need any more treatment.
