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Head and Neck Cancer Screening

There is currently no approved head and neck cancer screening test for asymptomatic patients. You should familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms.

Screening for Head and Neck Cancer

There are currently no head and neck cancer screening options that check for the disease in people who aren’t experiencing symptoms.

That’s largely because head and neck cancers appear different depending on their type and location, and researchers have yet to develop a test that has proved to reduce death from head and neck cancer in the general population.

Types of Head and Neck Cancer

Overall, head and neck cancer accounts for about 4% of all U.S. cancer diagnoses. But head and neck cancer is actually a collection of several different types of cancer that affect various organs and structures in the head and neck. Each individual type of head and neck cancer is relatively rare. The most common head and neck cancers are:

  • Laryngeal (voice box)
  • Oral (mouth)
  • Oropharyngeal (tongue, tonsils, soft palate and the side and back walls of the throat)
  • Hypopharyngeal (bottom of throat)

Less-common types of head and neck cancer include:

  • Nasal (nose)
  • Paranasal (sinus)
  • Salivary glands

Head and Neck Cancer Detection

While there are no head and neck cancer screening guidelines that effectively detect head and neck cancers in people with no symptoms, it is important to keep up with medical and dental wellness checks. This is particularly important for people who smoke or drink alcohol heavily. Your primary care provider or dentist may be able to spot lesions in the mouth or throat that can then be evaluated for cancer. And be sure to bring any signs of cancer to your provider’s attention.

Signs and Symptoms

Head and neck cancer symptoms don’t usually appear until the disease has spread. Over half of oral cancers have spread to nearby lymph nodes (or further) at the time of diagnosis, according to the National Cancer Institute. That’s why it’s important to familiarize yourself with head and neck cancer symptoms and report them to your physician as soon as possible.

Signs of head and neck cancer include:

  • Persistent soreness or swelling in the throat
  • Red or white lesion in the mouth
  • Lump or mass in the head or neck
  • Bad breath even after brushing
  • Hoarseness or change in voice
  • Nasal congestion that doesn’t go away
  • Frequent nose bleeds
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Pain with or difficulty chewing, swallowing or eating
  • Jaw or ear pain
  • Loosening teeth
  • Unexplained weight loss

Most people who experience these symptoms do not have head and neck cancer. Still, it’s important to seek a diagnosis right away. The sooner head and neck cancer is diagnosed, the better your prognosis will be.