Throat Cancer -- Diagnosis and Testing

There are several diagnostic methods to discover throat cancer:

• An examination of the neck and throat may show cancers of the throat.
• The sputum may appear bloody.
• A lump may appear on the outside of the neck.
• A laryngoscopy, which is examination by use of a tube with a small lighted camera (laryngoscope), allows the physician to look into the mouth and down the throat to see the tumor.
• A neck or cranial CT scan or cranial MRI may show throat cancer. These tests will also help determine if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the neck.
• Biopsy and analysis of tissues that appear abnormal may confirm the presence of a cancerous tumor.