Can colposcopy detect cervical cancer

Colposcopy is an examination that directly observes the epithelial structure and vascular morphology of the fully exposed vulva, vagina and cervix under a microscope at a magnification of 10 to 40 times to discover heteromorphic epithelium and heteromorphic blood vessels related to cancer. Colposcopy is therefore able to detect cervical cancer, but clinically, colposcopy is not the preferred method for screening cervical cancer. Colposcopy is performed only when HPV types 16 and 18 are positive, or when cervical cytology screening is abnormal plus 12 other HPV high-risk types are infected, in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy.