Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging

Learn about the signs and symptoms of oral cavity and oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) cancers. Find out how these cancers are tested for, diagnosed, and staged.

Can oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers be found early?

Some early oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers might have signs and symptoms that can be noticed, but this isn’t always the case. In the United States, doctors don’t recommend routine screening for these cancers. Screening is testing for cancer in people without any symptoms.

There are no simple exams or blood tests that can find these cancers early. Even though HPV is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancers, there is no approved test to screen for HPV in the throat like there is for cervical cancer.

Still, many pre-cancers and cancers in the mouth and throat can be found early, when they're small, during routine oral exams by a dentist, doctor, dental hygienist, or by self-exam.

Finding cancer early, when it's small and hasn't spread, often allows for more successful treatment options.

Exams by a dentist or doctor

Along with a clinical exam of your mouth and throat, some dentists and doctors may use special dyes and/or lights to look for abnormal areas, especially if you are at higher risk for these cancers.

If an abnormal area is spotted, the area might be tested to help decide if it could be cancer and needs to be biopsied. Testing can also help your health care team choose the best spot to take tissue for a biopsy.

Your health care team might use one or more of these tests:

• Toluidine blue: This dye is spread over the area of concern. Any abnormal tissue will turn a darker blue than the areas around it.
• Fluorescent light: When the light reflects off abnormal tissue, it looks different from the light reflected off normal tissue.
• Exfoliative cytology: If an abnormal area is found, it can sometimes be tested by exfoliative cytology. The abnormal area is scraped with a stiff brush (brush biopsy). The cells from the scraping are sent to a lab where they are checked for pre-cancer or cancer cells.

Self-exams

Some dentists and doctors may also recommend that you look at your mouth in a mirror every month to check for any changes, like white patches (leukoplakia), sores, or lumps. This is very important if you use or have used tobacco, and/or if you routinely drink alcohol, as these put you at much higher risk for these cancers.

What are the signs and symptoms of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers?

Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers might cause a variety of signs and symptoms, depending on where the cancer is located.

Many of these signs and symptoms can also be caused by other diseases, or even by other cancers. But if any of these conditions last more than a few weeks, it’s very important to see a doctor or dentist so the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

How are these cancers diagnosed?

If you have signs or symptoms that suggest oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer, your health care team will do a series of tests to find out for sure. Testing also helps the care team figure out the exact type and stage of the disease.

Stages and outlook for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers

After a cancer diagnosis, staging gives your health care team important information about the extent of cancer in your body and your expected response to treatment. Doctors also use a cancer’s stage when talking about survival statistics.