Methods of Diagnosing Laryngeal Cancer

For more than 20 years, Dr. James Freije has been providing otolaryngology head and neck surgical care to patients in Pennsylvania and New York. Currently working out of Mount Nittany Physician Group, Dr. James Freije has written several publications and given numerous presentations on everything from cholesteatoma to head, neck, and oral cancers like laryngeal cancer.

Laryngeal cancer is often found based on the various symptoms an individual is presenting, but tests are still needed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the stage of the cancer. Doctors will often start off by asking questions about your symptoms and possible risk factors or family history. They will complete a full physical examination to check for any signs of other cancers, focusing specifically on the head and neck areas. If the results continue pointing towards laryngeal cancer, you will be referred to an otolaryngologist for more specialized tests.

Your specialist will often complete a biopsy, which removes and tests cells from the affected area. Both an endoscopy and laryngoscopy involve removing tissue, though they are used in different areas: a laryngoscopy takes a sample from the larynx while an endoscopy takes samples from the throat and esophagus. Otolaryngologists may also complete various imaging tests, such as a CT or MRI scan, to look for the actual tumor and determine how far the cancer may have spread.