Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose leiomyosarcoma depend on where the cancer occurs, but may include:

• Physical exam. Your doctor may examine you to gather more clues about what's causing any signs and symptoms you may be experiencing.
• Imaging tests. Imaging tests might include MRI, CT and positron emission tomography (PET).

• Removing a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). A biopsy procedure involves removing a sample of suspicious tissue for testing. The sample is sent to a lab where it's analyzed to see if it's leiomyosarcoma.

  How the biopsy sample is collected depends on where the suspicious tissue is located. The procedure requires careful planning so that the biopsy is done in a way that won't interfere with future surgery to remove the cancer. For this reason, ask your doctor for a referral to a team of experts with experience in treating leiomyosarcoma.