Soft Palate Cancer

Diagnosis

To diagnose soft palate cancer, the physician will first obtain a medical history from the patient. Then a Mayo Clinic otorhinolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon) or oral and maxillofacial surgeon will examine the soft palate for abnormalities and use a mirror or a small, flexible, fiber-optic instrument to see the other side of the soft palate. A tissue sample (biopsy) may be taken of any areas that appear abnormal. A pathologist will then carefully examine this sample in a laboratory.

Most soft palate cancer cases begin in the squamous cells that line the surface of the oropharynx, the region behind the last molar. As a result, when physicians diagnose the condition early, patients are often treated successfully for the disease. To determine if the cancer has spread beyond the surface of the soft palate, the physician may order the following imaging procedures:

• X-rays produce one-dimensional images of the mouth, head and chest.
• Computer tomography (CT) scans use thin X-ray beams to create images of internal organs in two-dimensional slices.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans use a magnetic field and radio waves to create images that can be viewed from any direction or plane to determine the extent of the cancer and whether the lymph nodes are involved.
• Ultrasound involves use of a wandlike device (transducer) to combine high-frequency sound waves and a computer processing to provide physicians with information about the shape and texture of the tumor.
• PET scans use radioactive materials to identify actively growing tissues, such as cancer in the soft palate, in lymph nodes and other organs of the body such as the lungs, liver or bones.

Generally a complete head and neck examination provides the necessary information to recommend a treatment plan for most patients with soft palate cancers.

If soft palate cancers are detected at a small or early state, patients often experience successful treatment of their cancer.