Floor of the Mouth Cancer

Diagnosis

As the first step to diagnosing floor of the mouth cancer, a Mayo Clinic physician meets with the patient to discuss the symptoms and history of the condition. After a thorough medical history has been taken, a physician will conduct a physical examination and take a small sample of tissue (biopsy) to send to the laboratory for analysis. Pathologists with experience examining tissue from the mouth will look at the sample under a microscope. Patients may need to undergo X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans and computed tomography (CT) scans to determine how far the cancer has spread.

X-rays generate a one-dimensional view of the head and neck to help physicians locate abnormalities in the floor of the mouth and jaw.

CT scans generate two-dimensional images of the head and neck that may reveal whether cancer has invaded other tissues or organs.

MRI technology uses magnetic fields and radio waves to identify small abnormalities in the head and neck in three-dimensional views. MRI scans are also used to determine if cancer has spread to other organs.

PET scans use radioactive materials to identify metabolically active tissues, such as cancer, on the floor of the mouth and in lymph nodes and other organs of the body. PET scans are used to determine if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body such as the lungs, liver or bones.