Symptoms and diagnosis of ENT cancers

At the very beginning of the disease, the cancer is asymptomatic and is only detectable during a medical consultation. Then, variable signs may appear, depending on the location of the cancer, such as:

• A lump or pain in the throat;
• Difficulty swallowing or breathing;
• A modified voice;
• Mouth ulcers or sores in the mouth or throat;
• A feeling of blocked ear or pain in the ear.
• Nosebleeds;

If one or more of these symptoms persists for more than three weeks, a consultation with an ENT specialist must be scheduled. The ENT specialist will then conduct a clinical exam and, if cancer is suspected, they will prescribe radiological tests and an endoscopy under general anesthesia. Radiological examinations (CT and/or MRI) help assess the local extent of the disease, while endoscopy makes it possible to examine all the upper aerodigestive pathways (including the esophagus and possibly the bronchi) and perform biopsies. The collected tissue samples are then examined under a microscope.

Institut Curie, a pioneer in the diagnosis of ENT cancers linked to HPV, was one of the first centers to establish virus identification tests. These tests are now carried out routinely.

Institut Curie is also developing a specific treatment pathway for patients with ENT cancer, enabling all the consultations required for treatment to be carried out in a single day: ENT check-up and radiology, meetings with the dietician and possibly the addictologist, social worker, physiotherapists...