Nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis is a lengthy procedure. This includes a thorough review of the patient's medical history, as well as physical examinations that include a cranial nerve examination.
The diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma involves the following steps:
- Complete blood count (CBC), liver function tests, and renal function tests are all indicated as routine lab testing.
- To confirm the diagnosis, a biopsy of the tumour is performed under endoscopic guidance.
- To determine the degree of the disease, a computerised tomography (CT) scan or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan of the head and neck region is conducted.
- Because it better delineates the involvement of soft tissue areas and cranial nerves, MRI is favoured over CT scan.
- An FDG PET CT scan is usually advised in cases where there is a high risk of distant metastasis (spread) to other organs.
