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If you are worried that you may have possible symptoms of mouth cancer you should talk to your GP or dentist about these.
When you visit your GP or dentist s/he will ask you questions about your symptoms and will look at your medical history to see what illnesses you have had in the past.
S/he will carefully examine your mouth and throat, and may check your lymph nodes by feeling your neck.
S/he may then decide to send you to a specialist doctor at the hospital. There are cancer referral guidelines to help GPs decide who needs to see a specialist, and how quickly.
If you need to go to the hospital it doesn't mean you have cancer… it simply means that the doctor needs to do some more tests to find out what is causing your symptoms.
At the hospital you are likely to have one or more of these diagnostic tests:
Biopsy
This is where a small sample of tissue is cut away from the affected area and examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells.
Blood Tests
Blood tests may be carried out to check your general health and to see whether there are any indications that further tests may be needed.
Computerised Tomography (CT or CAT) scan
This is a type of X-ray that creates a picture of a cross section, or slices, of the inside of the body. It gives a clear picture of soft tissue such as the liver, lymph glands, blood vessels, as well as bone. CT scanning can help tell whether the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan
This test uses powerful magnetic waves to make a picture of the soft tissue, organs and bones of your body. It does not use X-rays. It can give greater detail than a CT scan.
Panendoscopy
This test uses a long tube with a light and a camera inside (endoscope) to examine the mouth, nasal cavity and throat.
For more information about some of these tests, go to our cancer tests section.
