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PrintInvestigations are the tests and procedures used to diagnose a disease. These tests and procedures are important because they help your doctor determine the stage of your cancer and the treatment that will work best for you.
The following procedures are often used to diagnose head and neck cancers:
Physical Examination
During a physical examination, your doctor will closely inspect the areas that are affected by the cancer in your body.
In particular, your doctor will feel, or palpate, the outer area of your neck to check for any lumps or swollen lymph nodes.
If your doctor thinks you have head and neck cancer, he or she may recommend tests to check your throat and lungs. These tests are done while you are asleep under anesthesia and are discussed below:
- Laryngoscopy
- Panendoscopy
Biopsy
A biopsy is the removal of some or all of the lump or abnormal area for examination under a microscope. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of cancer.
There are 3 kinds of biopsy:
- Incisional biopsy
- Fine-needle aspiration
- Excisional biopsy
If cancer is found in the biopsy, you will have more tests to find out the stage of the cancer. These tests include imaging techniques that take pictures of the body to help your doctor look for evidence of cancer and spread of cancer to other areas of the body.
Imaging Studies
Imaging studies are used to take pictures of the body to look for cancer and whether cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
After all these tests are done, your doctor will sit down with you and discuss what treatment is best suited for your specific cancer.
- CT Scan
- MRI Scan
- Chest X-rays
- Dental X-rays
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