Your GP will ask you questions about your symptoms and look at your medical history to see what illnesses you have had in the past.

S/he will look at your vulva to see if there are any lumps or unusual areas of skin.

S/he may then send you to see a specialist doctor (a gynaecologist) at a nearby hospital. There are NHS cancer referral guidelines to help GPs decide who may need to see a specialist, and how quickly.

At hospital you are likely to have:

Examination of the vulva
The doctor may use an instrument called a colposcope to look for any abnormal areas. It is like a microscope with a light on the end of it.

Biopsy
During the examination the doctor will take a small sample of tissue (a biopsy) from the place where the cancer might be, and send it to the laboratory to be checked. You have a local anaesthetic for this. A biopsy is the best way of finding out whether you have cancer of the vulva.

At the same time the doctor may also check your vagina and cervix (the entrance to the womb) to see if they are healthy.