Receiving an oropharyngeal cancer diagnosis
Oropharyngeal cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the middle part of the throat, including areas like the back of the tongue, tonsils, and soft palate. Getting an accurate oropharyngeal cancer diagnosis from Penn Medicine is the initial step in accessing customized treatment choices. Our experienced cancer specialists use advanced diagnostic techniques and continually explore innovative strategies for detecting and treating head and neck cancers.
How is oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed at Penn Medicine?
Diagnosing oropharyngeal cancer starts with an exam by a head and neck specialist and may require various tests. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, risk factors, and family history of cancer, followed by a thorough physical exam, which includes checking your throat and lymph nodes. They’ll also discuss necessary blood work and imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Oropharyngeal cancer staging
Cancer staging explains how far the cancer has spread in your body. It looks at the size of the tumor, whether it has reached nearby lymph nodes, and if it has spread to other organs. Doctors usually use the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system to stage cancer. “T” stands for the size of the tumor, “N” shows if cancer is in the lymph nodes, and “M” checks if it has spread to distant parts of the body, called metastasis.
Staging helps guide oropharyngeal cancer treatment decisions. The stages are typically categorized as follows:
- Stage 0: Abnormal cells have been identified, but they haven’t spread.
- Stage I: The tumor is two centimeters or smaller and remains in one area of the body.
- Stage II: The tumor is two-to-four centimeters and remains in one area of the body.
- Stage III: The cancer is larger than four centimeters and has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
- Stage IV: Also called metastatic cancer, at this stage, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as distant lymph nodes and organs like the lungs.
Additionally, each stage of oropharyngeal cancer may have substages determined by specific characteristics.
Penn Medicine’s expertise leads to accurate diagnoses
Our providers bring decades of experience. This expertise means our patients receive accurate and detailed diagnoses that help create effective short- and long-term treatment plans.
To determine the cancer stage, our experts perform a physical exam, biopsies, and imaging tests. During the biopsy, a tumor tissue sample is taken, and our pulmonary pathologists—doctors who specialize in diagnosing head and neck cancers—study the tissue samples. Their expertise helps create a more detailed picture of the cancer and its unique characteristics. This level of detail often improves treatment plans and prognoses.
In addition, we provide seamless care coordination. Our integrated care model ensures that all your health-care providers are in sync, making the treatment process smoother and more efficient.
Cancel Copy raw HTML Copy fRated “exceptional” by The National Cancer Institute
Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. Our status as a national leader in cancer care is reflected in our continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 7 such centers in the United States. The ACC is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of a select few cancer centers in the U.S., that are working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.