What are the diagnostic methods for laryngeal cancer?

For more than a month, Mr. Wei, 70, had been suffering from a very hoarse voice. He thought it was caused by "getting angry" and went to the pharmacy to buy some heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine. However, his condition did not improve but worsened. Finally, a laryngoscopy was performed and it was confirmed that he had laryngeal cancer. "If the hoarseness does not improve for more than 14 days, it is recommended to have a laryngoscopy immediately. Because when laryngeal cancer invades the vocal cords, symptoms such as hoarseness and difficulty breathing will occur."

Experts remind that laryngeal cancer is more likely to occur in middle-aged and elderly men aged 50-70, because the occurrence of laryngeal cancer is related to factors such as smoking, alcoholism, long-term inhalation of harmful substances and papillomavirus infection. "The incidence of laryngeal cancer should not be underestimated, accounting for 1%-5% of all tumors in the body, and ranks third in the field of otolaryngology, second only to nasopharyngeal cancer and thyroid cancer." So, what are the examination methods for laryngeal cancer?

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.

Laryngoscopy

1) Indirect laryngoscopy. This 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 fiber laryngoscope are required.

2) Direct laryngoscopy: This method can be used for patients who have difficulty taking biopsies under indirect laryngoscopy, but it is very painful for the patient.

3) Fiberoptic laryngoscope examination. The fiberoptic laryngoscope is thin, 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 taking biopsies.

4) Stroboscopic laryngoscopy: By dynamically observing the vibration of the vocal cords, tumors can be detected at an early stage.

Imaging tests

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.

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.