What is the first thing you do when you find stage iv cancer on a pap smear..schedule surgery or chemo or what exactly?

Stage IV: Means that it has spread beyond the primary area(bladder/ or rectum) or goes to distant organ. In general, chemotherapy will be the treatment for a stage IV ca.Surgery and/or radiation would sometimes be recommended for specific reasons- such as if there is pathologic fractures/ or painful bone metastases; a blockage to the bladder from the cancer etc. Discuss in detail with your physicians. Gbu.

Speak to your Doctor: One cannot find stage IV cancer on a pap smear. The pap smear is a screening test that looks at the cells lining the cervix or vagina for abnormal cells. If suspicious cells are found, additional testing and biopsy is done. Few abnormal pap smears will eventually turn out to be cancerous but screening for them with regular pap smears can help prevent cancer or catch it early when it can be cured.

Biopsy the cervix: The pap smear is a screening test to determine who needs further evaluation of the cervix. The pap smear gives some indication of what is likely to be found, but is not definitively diagnostic.If the pap smear is abnormal, that woman needs addition workup that would include a colposcopy and probably biopsies to determine exactly what is going on and how extensive it is, which would guide treatment.

Pap isn't Dx: You can't diagnose cervical cancer on a pap smear alone. The diagnosis requires a full thickness biopsy, complete pelvic exam, & a knowledge of how extensive or large the cancer is. Stage IV is not treatable with surgery and needs evaluation by a gyn oncologist to decide if chemo and/or radiation will help. Stage IV means spread to other organs and is difficult to treat.