Conditions

Screening and Testing for Throat Cancer

Screening tests are often used because they can be helpful in finding cancers early and increasing the chance of surviving these cancers.¹ Scientists study screening tests to find those with the fewest risks and most benefits. For many cancers, the chance of recovery is better if the disease is found and treated at an early stage.

There is no standard screening test for throat cancer. Screening may be done during a routine check-up by your dentist or doctor. The exam will include looking for lesions and white or red patches of cells that have the potential to become cancerous.

If your doctor does find lesions in the mouth, the following procedures may be used to locate abnormal tissue that may develop into cancer:

Toluidine blue stain

Lesions in the mouth are coated with a blue dye. Areas that stain darker are more likely to be cancerous or become cancer.

Fluorescence staining

Lesions in the mouth are viewed using a special light. After the patient uses a fluorescent mouth rinse, normal tissue looks different from abnormal tissue when seen under the light.

Exfoliative cytology

Cells from the lip or oral cavity are collected. A piece of cotton, a brush, or small wooden stick is used to gently scrape cells from the lips, tongue, mouth, or throat. The cells are viewed under a microscope to find out if they are abnormal.

Brush biopsy

Cells are removed using a brush designed to collect cells from all layers of a lesion. The cells are viewed under a microscope to find out if they are abnormal.

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1. National Cancer Institute; Oral Cancer Screening. Available from:  http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/oral/Patient/page3/print

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