How to differentiate laryngeal cancer

Each of us hopes to have a healthy body, but some diseases come suddenly, but due to failure to detect them in time, serious consequences are caused. Nowadays, the incidence of laryngeal cancer is increasing. In response to patients’ questions about how to diagnose laryngeal cancer, we have specially invited well-known experts to talk to you. The following is detailed knowledge about laryngeal cancer diagnosis.

Laryngeal cancer is also classified, mainly into primary and secondary. The main symptoms of this cancer are difficulty in swallowing, coughing, hoarseness, etc. If you have such symptoms, you should go to the hospital for examination and diagnosis in time. So how to differentiate laryngeal cancer? Today we will talk about the examination items for laryngeal cancer.

1. Neck examination

This includes inspection and palpation of the laryngeal shape and cervical lymph nodes. Observe whether the larynx is enlarged and palpate the cervical lymph nodes. The cervical lymph nodes should be inspected step by step from top to bottom and from front to back according to the distribution pattern of the cervical lymph nodes to find out the location and size of the enlarged lymph nodes.

2. Laryngoscopy

(1) Indirect laryngoscopy is the simplest and most convenient method and can be performed in an outpatient clinic. During the examination, it is necessary to see all parts of the larynx clearly. Due to the patient's cooperation, sometimes it is not possible to clearly examine the various structures of the larynx, and further other examinations such as fiberoptic laryngoscopy are needed.

(2) Direct laryngoscopy can be used for patients who have difficulty in obtaining a biopsy under indirect laryngoscopy, but it is very painful for the patient.

(3) Fiberoptic laryngoscope examination: The fiberoptic laryngoscope is slender, soft, bendable, bright, has a certain magnification function, and has the function of taking biopsies. It is helpful to see the whole picture of the laryngeal cavity and adjacent structures, and is conducive to early detection of tumors and biopsies.

(4) Stroboscopic laryngoscopy can detect tumors at an early stage by dynamically observing the vibration of the vocal cords.

3. Imaging examination

X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs can be used to determine the extent to which laryngeal cancer has invaded surrounding tissues and organs and the extent to which it has metastasized. Superficial ultrasound imaging can be used to observe metastatic lymph nodes and their relationship with surrounding tissues.

4. Biopsy

Biopsy is the main basis for the diagnosis of laryngeal cancer. The specimen can be collected under laryngoscope. Note that the central part of the tumor should be taken with forceps, not on the ulcer surface, because there is necrotic tissue there. Some cases require repeated biopsies to confirm. The biopsy should not be too large or too deep to avoid bleeding.

A detailed medical history and physical examination of the head and neck, indirect laryngoscopy, laryngeal X-ray, laryngeal CT, MRI examination, etc. can determine the location, size and extent of laryngeal cancer tumor lesions.

Taking a biopsy under indirect laryngoscopy or fiberoptic laryngoscopy is the most important method to determine laryngeal cancer. If necessary, a biopsy can be taken under direct laryngoscopy. The size of the pathological specimen varies depending on the location. A larger biopsy specimen can be taken for supraglottic laryngeal cancer, while the specimen taken for glottic cancer should not be too large to avoid permanent vocal cord damage.

The above is the detailed knowledge of laryngeal cancer diagnosis. I believe everyone must have a clear understanding. In order to enable patients to recover soon, we still need to do a lot of work. For example, communicate more with laryngeal cancer patients to keep them in a good mood. Take a walk in the park more often and maintain a good attitude. Finally, I wish laryngeal cancer patients a speedy recovery!