11 Mar Does ENT cancer screening make sense?

Posted at 07:44h in ENT, ENT cancer screening, ENT practice by Goethe10 practice clinic

In this day and age, the Healthcare Fortunately, preventive healthcare is very important. From regular dental visits and skin cancer screenings to annual check-ups at gynaecological or urological practices, you certainly do a lot to protect your well-being and health. But while you're keeping an eye on many aspects of your body, you may be overlooking one area: the health of your ears, nose and throat. Ear, nose and throat care may not be as prominent in your life as other medical specialities, but it plays a crucial role in your body. After all, potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer can also occur in this region of the body. In this blog post, we want to raise your awareness and let you know that the ENT cancer screening is very useful. We offer the various examinations in our ENT clinic in Frankfurt to.

What types of cancer are there in the ENT area?

Oral cavity carcinomas

These are malignant tumours that can develop in the oral cavity. They often occur on the tongue, lips, palate, gums or the inside of the cheeks. They manifest as ulcers and sores that refuse to heal and are often accompanied by pain or numbness in the mouth or on the lips. You may also experience swelling or hardening in the mouth or jaw area as well as problems chewing or swallowing. If you have pain in your ear or a sore throat that is not due to an infection, or notice changes in your voice or speech, you should also have this checked out.

Pharyngeal carcinomas

Malignant tumours can also develop in the throat area. They make themselves felt, for example, through a sore throat that does not go away or constantly worsens. In addition, there is often difficulty swallowing or the feeling of a lump in the throat. Changes in the voice, hoarseness and a persistent cough are also possible. Other symptoms of throat cancer include swelling in the throat or neck and earache that occurs without infection.

Kelhkopf carcinomas

These cancerous tumours develop in the larynx and are accompanied, for example, by persistent hoarseness, difficulty speaking and changes in the voice. In addition, there is often difficulty swallowing, a bloody cough, breathing difficulties or shortness of breath as well as swelling in the throat or neck.

Tumours of the nose

These include sinus tumours and nasal cancer, for example. In most cases, depending on the type and location of the tumour, there is a Nasal congestion or obstructed nasal breathing and repeated, severe nasal congestion. Nosebleed. In addition, a reduced sense of smell or even its loss can occur. Other possible symptoms of Tumours in the nose are facial pain, a feeling of pressure in the nose or sinuses and headaches that worsen or do not respond to the usual painkillers.

Tumours of the external neck, especially of the thyroid gland

Discomfort in the neck region can have various causes, including benign and malignant tumours. When it comes to the thyroid gland, tumours can occur both inside the thyroid gland (thyroid nodules) and outside the thyroid gland (e.g. in the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes). The most common symptoms include visible and palpable swelling in the neck, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness or changes in the voice, breathing difficulties or shortness of breath, as well as pain in the neck that can radiate to the ear.

For which people is ENT cancer screening useful?

As a general rule, we recommend that every woman and man undergo ENT cancer screening in addition to the typical preventive health checks. It helps to recognise and treat potentially life-threatening diseases at an early stage. However, certain risk factors can increase the risk of ENT cancer. Screening can therefore be extremely important for certain groups of people. ENT cancer screening is particularly useful for:

People who consume tobacco

Smoking is a known risk factor for ear, nose and throat cancer, so you should have systematic check-ups if you regularly smoke a cigarette, pipe, etc.

People who regularly consume alcohol

Alcohol consumption is another risk factor for ENT cancer, especially in combination with smoking.

People who are occupationally exposed to certain carcinogens

People who work in industries where they are exposed to asbestos, formaldehyde or certain chemicals, for example, may also have an increased risk of ENT cancer.

People with precancerous lesions or a history of cancer

Precancerous lesions are abnormal-looking tissue changes that do not yet contain cancer cells, but may pose an increased risk of degeneration. These lesions can be located in various areas of the ENT tract, such as the oral cavity, pharynx, nose and paranasal sinuses, and larynx. People who suffer from these possible precancerous lesions or who have already had (ENT) cancer have an increased risk of recurrence. They should therefore have regular check-ups.

People with a family history of ENT cancer

Some forms of ENT cancer may have a genetic component. You should therefore be closely monitored if a blood-related family member is/was affected by such a disease.

ENT cancer screening in Frankfurt: how the screening works

ENT cancer screening usually involves a series of steps to detect precancerous lesions in the ear, nose and throat and potential signs of cancer. These include:

Medical history and physical examination

We start with a detailed medical history to gather information about your previous illnesses, symptoms, risk factors and family history. This is followed by a thorough physical examination, during which we check your throat, nose, mouth and larynx for signs of changes.

Endoscopic examination

We conclude a Endoscopic examination . This involves inserting a thin tube with a camera into your nose, throat or larynx to obtain a detailed view of your internal structures. This allows a thorough assessment of areas that are not easily visible to the naked eye.

Ultrasound

Using ENT ultrasound, we obtain detailed images of your internal structures, such as your sinuses, thyroid gland, lymph nodes and salivary glands. We can examine the anatomical structures for size, shape, texture and possible abnormalities.

Further investigations

In the event of abnormalities or for differential diagnosis, other imaging procedures such as X-ray, CT or MRI can be used. Laboratory diagnostics are also available.

ENT cancer screening is sensible and important: make your appointment at the Goethe10 practice clinic in Frankfurt!

As you can see: Preventive healthcare is also an important measure in the ENT area in order to recognise and treat potentially dangerous diseases at an early stage. The comprehensive variety of screening and diagnostic methods available at our ENT practice clinic in Frankfurt enables you to have a thorough assessment of the health of your ENT area.

Feel free to contact us and make an appointment for your personal ENT cancer screening!

ENT Frankfurt: Dr Thomas Fischer & Dr Albrecht Linke

Your specialists for ear, nose and throat medicine, who will provide you with professional and individualised advice, examinations and treatment in all matters relating to ENT medicine, functional plastic surgery and the aesthetic treatment of changes to the facial skin.

Our news articles are prepared for you to the best of our knowledge and belief and are intended for general education. They are in no way a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis and treatment and are not intended to encourage self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Please always contact your ENT specialist in Frankfurt directly if you have any health complaints!

Tags:

ENT Cancer, ENT cancer screening, Tumour neck, Mouth tumour, Tumour nose, Tumour ear