In this procedure, your doctor examines the nose and throat area using a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera on the end. The procedure may be called a nasendoscopy or flexible laryngoscopy and it is usually done in the doctor’s rooms.

You may find this test uncomfortable but it should not hurt. Images from the camera may be projected onto a screen and the doctor may also take tissue samples (biopsy). An endoscopy usually takes a few minutes. If you need a biopsy, the test may take longer.

This procedure is done in a hospital while you are asleep under general anaesthetic. It allows the doctor to look at your throat and voice box and take a tissue sample (biopsy). The doctor inserts a stainless steel instrument called a laryngoscope into your mouth to hold the throat open, and uses telescopes or a microscope to examine the throat and voice box.

The procedure takes 30–60 minutes and you can go home when you’ve recovered from the anaesthetic. You may have a sore throat for a couple of days.

A biopsy is when doctors remove a sample of cells or tissue from a suspicious sore or lump, and examine it to see if it contains cancer cells. The sample may be taken using local anaesthetic during an endoscopy or under a general anaesthetic during a microlaryngoscopy.

A needle can also be used to take a biopsy from lumps in the neck or other hard-to-reach areas (fine needle or core biopsy). It is often done using an ultrasound or CT scan to guide the needle to the correct place.

Biopsy results are usually available in about a week. If the cancer can’t be diagnosed from the tissue sample, you may have surgery to remove the mass so it can be checked for signs of cancer.

The lymph nodes in the neck are often the first place cancer cells spread to outside the primary site. If you have a lump in the neck or an imaging scan has shown a suspicious-looking lymph node, your doctor may recommend doing a fine needle or core biopsy of the lymph nodes. 

• Ultrasound – sometimes used, particularly to look at the thyroid, salivary glands and lymph glands in the neck. A small device called a transducer is coated with gel and moved over the area. The transducer sends out soundwaves that echo when they meet something dense, like an organ or tumour. A computer creates a picture from these echoes. An ultrasound is painless and takes about 15–20 minutes.
• CT scan – uses x-ray beams to create detailed cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your body. Before the scan, you may have an injection of dye (called contrast) into a vein to make the pictures clearer. The scan itself takes about 10 minutes.
• PET–CT scan – usually recommended to see if the cancer has spread. Before the scan, you will be injected with a glucose solution containing some radioactive material to help cancer cells show up brighter on the scan. PET-CT scans usually take 30–90 minutes.
• MRI scan – uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to create detailed cross-sectional pictures of the inside of your body. A dye may be injected into a vein before the scan to help make the pictures clearer. MRI scans usually take 30–90 minutes.
• X-rays – some people have a special x-ray called an orthopantomogram (OPG) to check the jaw and teeth.