The diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer can be difficult and overwhelming. Further testing will be necessary to confirm a diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment. Endoscopy, imaging, and biopsy are generally standard diagnostic approaches. Patients can expect their doctor to have a discussion with them about the risks, benefits, and alternatives to each of the following approaches.
Endoscopy
An endoscope is a device that allows doctors to examine inside the body. It is made up of a thin flexible or rigid tube with a camera and light attached on the end. The lenses inside the endoscope provide magnification, allowing doctors to detect even small changes in the lining of the throat. “Endoscopy” is simply the process of using an endoscope to visualize a particular part of the body. A flexible endoscope will be used in the clinic to visualize a mass in the hypopharynx, as this area is not easy to see otherwise. Sometimes hypopharyngeal masses are not easy to visualize with a flexible endoscope in the office, and will need to be seen with a rigid scope in the operating room. The mass can often be biopsied at that time as well. Learn more about different kinds of endoscopies.
Biopsy
A biopsy is the removal of a small piece of tissue to examine under a microscope to see if it is cancerous. A biopsy of a suspicious growth in the hypopharynx is usually needed prior to treatment. The most common way to biopsy a mass in the hypopharynx is via direct laryngoscopy or hypopharyngoscopy in the operating room. In some cases, a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of any suspicious lymph nodes in the neck may also be helpful. Learn more about different kinds of biopsies.
Imaging
Imaging scans, also known as radiologic studies, provide the doctor with an inside view of the body. Imaging of the head and neck will be required to determine the extent as well as the behavior of a growth, and is a vital step prior to treatment of any tumor in the hypopharynx. The most common initial imaging tests used are CT or MRI scans. A more advanced imaging study called a PET/CT will likely also be performed to evaluate if a hypopharyngeal cancer has spread to other sites in the body, as well as to determine if lymph nodes in the neck are likely to harbor cancer cells. Learn more about imaging.
