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Many of the following symptoms are not from oral cancer. However, if you find any of these, you should contact your physician or dentist so they can diagnose and treat the areas of concern as soon as possible. Symptoms of oral cancer include:
If you have symptoms that suggest oral cancer, your doctor or dentist will check your mouth and throat for red or white patches, lumps, swelling, or other problems. A physical exam includes looking carefully at the roof of your mouth, back of your throat, and insides of your cheeks and lips. The floor of your mouth and lymph nodes in your neck will also be checked.
An ear, nose, and throat specialist can see the back of your nose, tongue, and throat by using a small, long-handled mirror or a lighted tube. Sometimes pictures need to be made with a CT scan or MRI to find a hidden tumor. (The Staging section describes imaging tests.)
The removal of a small piece of tissue to look for cancer cells is called a biopsy. Usually, a biopsy is done with local anesthesia. A biopsy is the only sure way to know if the abnormal area is cancer.
A few methods that are also used in the diagnosis process are as follows: