Symptoms & Detection
Symptoms
Head and neck tumors grow in the mouth, throat, voice box/larynx, nose, sinuses, and lymph nodes in the neck. Tumors can also appear in the thyroid, salivary and parotid glands, and skin of the face, neck, and scalp. They can be cancerous or noncancerous (benign).
There are various types of head and neck cancer:
- Mouth (oral cavity) cancer
- Throat (oropharynx) cancer
- Larynx cancer
- Nose, sinus, and skull base cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Parotid and salivary cancer
- Skin cancer of the face, neck, scalp
Some warning signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer include:
- Pain in the mouth or throat
- Visible mass on the skin or in the mouth
- Non-healing ulcer in the mouth or lip
- New and growing neck mass
- Any sore that doesn’t heal within two weeks
- Sore throat with or without ear pain
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty swallowing and unintentional weight loss
- Hoarseness that is constant or worsening with or without difficulty breathing
- Unintentional weight loss
- Chronic sinus infections that do not respond to treatment with antibiotics
- Numbness or paralysis of the muscles in the face
- Sore throat that does not go away
- Swelling or other trouble with the eye
- Unusual bleeding or pain in your mouth
- White or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth
If you experience these symptoms, your doctor will probably refer you to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
Detection
During your examination, your doctor may use an endoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a small camera attached) to view the inside of your nose, throat, and voice box. You may also need to have special imaging for a more detailed view. Finally, a biopsy (removal of a small amount of tissue) may be taken and examined to confirm head and neck cancer.
If you receive a cancer diagnosis, UI Health Head and Neck Cancer specialists are here to help with the latest treatment options.
