How Does My Doctor Know I Have Anal Cancer?

During a biopsy, the doctor takes a small sample of tissue from your anus. The tissue is sent to a laboratory and looked at under a microscope by a pathologist.

If you’re having symptoms of anal cancer, your doctor will ask you about these things.

• Your health history

• Your family’s history of cancer

• Your other risk factors

Your doctor will also do a careful physical exam, including a digital rectal exam (DRE). During a digital rectal exam, the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum. The doctor checks for hard or lumpy areas.

If your doctor feels anything unusual or if you have symptoms, he or she may also do certain tests to check if you have anal cancer. You may need more than one of these tests.

• Anoscopy. For this test, your doctor uses a small, flexible tube, called an anoscope, to look at your anus.

• Proctoscopy. For this test, your doctor uses a thin, lighted instrument called a proctoscope to look at your anus and rectum.

• Biopsy. If the doctor finds anything suspicious, he or she may do a biopsy. During a biopsy, the doctor takes a small sample of tissue from your anus. The tissue is sent to a laboratory and looked at under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy is the only way to know for sure whether a lesion is malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous).