Oral Cancer: Diagnosis & Tests (Squamous Cell Cancer of the Oral Cavity, Mouth and Throat Cancer)

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You are here : 3-RX.com > Medical Encyclopedia > Diseases and Conditions > Oral Cancer: Diagnosis & Tests
Category : Health Centers > Cancers and Tumors

Oral Cancer

Alternate Names : Squamous Cell Cancer of the Oral Cavity, Mouth and Throat Cancer

Oral Cancer | Symptoms & Signs | Diagnosis & Tests | Prevention & Expectations | Treatment & Monitoring

How is the disease diagnosed?

Diagnosis of oral cancer begins with a medical history and physical exam. A biopsy, or sample, may be taken from suspicious masses. If cancer is found, the healthcare provider will order tests to see the extent of the cancer. These may include X-rays of the chest and jaw. The provider may also order a CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI.

Oral cancers are graded as poorly or well differentiated, a process that looks at the types of cancer cells in the skin lesions. The following factors are also taken into account:

any evidence that cancer cells have spread to nearby areas

the size of the initial lesion

whether cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes

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Oral Cancer: Symptoms & Signs		Oral Cancer: Prevention & Expectations

Author: Thomas Fisher, MD
Reviewer: Eileen McLaughlin, RN, BSN
Date Reviewed: 09/10/01

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