How to Learn About the Throat Cancer Diagnosis Process

Throat cancer occurs when squamous cells in the soft tissue of the neck become damaged and multiply at random. Early detection is critical to avoid serious consequences. Therefore it's important to learn everything you can about the throat cancer diagnosis process to increase your chances for a full recovery.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Learn the risk factors and communicate any that apply to you to your doctor on your initial consultation. Risk factors include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, exposure to ultraviolet light, asbestos and the human papillomavirus or the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
2. Arrange for an endoscopy. A thin, lighted tube will be inserted down the throat to look for abnormalities.
3. Expect a biopsy to be taken to confirm the presence of cancer if any abnormal tissue is found during an endoscopy. A biopsy of the surrounding tissue will allow the doctor to learn if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
4. Ask your doctor about having a needle aspiration instead of a biopsy. In this procedure, a thin needle extracts cells from the suspected tumor, which then undergo a cytologic examination under a microscope.
5. Learn about different scans that help to detect throat cancer. These can include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a CT scan, an ultrasound or a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, where a sugar is introduced into suspected cancer cells to cause them to emit light.
6. Check out the diagnosis page of the Mayo Clinic Web site to learn more about other diagnosis procedures (see Resources below). These can include X-rays and computer tomography.

Tips & Warnings

• If a diagnosis of throat cancer is confirmed, ask your doctor if a referral to an oncologic dentist or speech pathologist will be necessary. This is especially important if you are facing extensive surgery.
• Take an active role in your diagnosis and treatment. However, be aware that HIPAA regulations prevent your medical information from being released to others, including family members. If there's a need to have others involved in the decision-making process, be sure to sign the relevant release forms.
• Receiving a diagnosis of throat cancer can be stressful. For this reason, maintaining a strong support system is encouraged. Visit the Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer Web site to locate a support group near you (see "Resources" below).