How Is Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosed?

An examination for head and neck cancer begins with a doctor's review of a patient's medical history as well as a physical examination. If there is a suspicion of any head or neck cancer, a doctor may recommend an examination by an otolaryngologist, a specialist in the head and neck.

To perform a complete and thorough work-up for diagnosis, special tests may be ordered. Since the throat is very difficult to see, special instruments are used to help a doctor see the area involved, and possibly to take samples of tissue for examination. Fiber-optic instruments, called endoscopes, with TV capabilities allow doctors to look at the entire mouth, throat, nasal and laryngeal areas for evidence of any growth, tumor or cancer that has spread.

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