Video: Diagnosing Head and Neck Cancer

Doctors often first identify a cancer of the head or neck by looking into a patient’s mouth and throat and feeling his or her neck. A biopsy is needed to confirm that a suspicious spot is cancer. Imaging tests such as CT, MRI, and PET scans can help to determine whether the tumor has spread. As surgical oncologist Jatin Shah of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center explains, screening can help find head and neck cancers early, when they are easier to treat.