How long does colposcopy take to work for vulval cancer?

During colposcopy, a clinician uses magnification and a light to look closely at genital skin or the cervix, depending on the area being assessed. The examination itself is usually completed during one appointment. If an abnormal area is seen, a small tissue sample may be taken. That sample is examined separately, so the appointment cannot confirm or remove cancer on the spot.

Vulval cancer assessment may involve examination, biopsy and other tests chosen for the finding. Colposcopy is therefore an investigation rather than a medicine or procedure that makes a cancer shrink. A diagnosis and treatment plan depend on the examination and pathology result.

Attend the appointment and follow the preparation instructions from your clinic. Tell the clinician about pregnancy, medicines that affect bleeding, allergies, and any symptoms such as bleeding, pain, itching or a sore that has not healed. After a biopsy, follow advice about keeping the area clean and avoiding activities that could irritate it until advised otherwise.

Ask how and when you will receive the biopsy result, who will explain it, and whether another appointment is already planned. Do not judge the result by how the area looks or feels while it heals.

Contact the clinic promptly if bleeding is heavier than the team expected, pain is worsening rather than settling, or the area becomes increasingly swollen, hot or foul-smelling. Seek urgent medical help for severe bleeding, fainting, severe pain, or feeling acutely unwell. A persistent vulval sore, lump, colour change or bleeding also deserves medical assessment, even when it is not painful.

Ask which area will be examined, whether a biopsy is likely, how you should care for the site afterwards, when pathology results should be available, and what will happen if the result is abnormal.