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Squamous Cell Cancer of the Oral Cavity - Oral Cancer


Diagnosis & Tests

How is the disease diagnosed?

Diagnosis of oral cancer begins with a medical history and physical exam. A biopsy, or sample, may be taken from suspicious masses. If cancer is found, the healthcare provider will order tests to see the extent of the cancer. These may include X-rays of the chest and jaw. The provider may also order a CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI.

Oral cancers are graded as poorly or well differentiated, a process that looks at the types of cancer cells in the skin lesions. The following factors are also taken into account:

  • any evidence that cancer cells have spread to nearby areas
  • the size of the initial lesion
  • whether cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes

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