Referral to a specialist for possible laryngeal cancer

Seeing your GP

It can be hard for GPs to decide who may have cancer and who might have a more minor condition. For some symptoms, your doctor may ask you to wait to see if the symptoms get better or respond to treatment, such as antibiotics.

UK referral guidelines

There are guidelines for GPs to help them decide who needs a referral. These vary between the different UK nations. Your GP will use these guidelines as well as their own experience and judgement.

Specialists in Northern Ireland are updating their head and neck guidelines. We will add these when they are available.

England and Wales

Your GP should consider referring you to a specialist if you're aged 45 or over and have:

• a persistent, unexplained hoarseness in your voice or

• an unexplained lump in your neck

There are rapid access clinics for people with a hoarse voice in many hospitals in the UK. These clinics have been set up so it's quicker to get an appointment. And quicker to get an early diagnosis of the problem.

Scotland

The Scottish guidelines are general head and neck guidelines.

You should have an emergency referral if you have symptoms caused by a blockage or narrowing of the airway. This includes noisy breathing (​stridor). 

Your GP or dentist should refer you to a specialist if you have any of the following that last for more than 3 weeks:

• an unexplained lump in the head or neck area

• an unexplained swelling or break (ulceration) on your lips or in your mouth

• unexplained red or red and white patches in your mouth

• a hoarse voice that is there all the time and doesn’t go away

• painful swallowing or a painful throat that is there all the time

Other symptoms

Your GP will consider any other symptoms you have, so do mention these.

Read about the symptoms of laryngeal cancer

Risk factors

Your doctor might also take into account whether you have any risk factors that affect your chances of developing a laryngeal cancer.

Go to information about the risks and causes of laryngeal cancer

Neck lump clinic

A lump or growth in your neck is a common symptom of head and neck cancer and may be the only symptom you have. Your GP might refer you to a neck lump clinic if there is one at your hospital. 

The neck lump clinic is a one stop clinic. You see a specialist who examines your lump. You then have tests to check for cancer, such as an ultrasound scan. The doctor may take a sample of tissue (​fine needle aspiration).

Many neck lumps are not cancer, but it is important to be sure.

Depending on the clinic, you will either: 

• have a follow up appointment about a week later to get the results

• or get some or all of the results on the same day

Go to more information about possible tests

If you are still worried

Do remember that some of these symptoms are usually caused by other less serious medical conditions. They do not always mean that you have laryngeal cancer. A hoarse voice can be caused by smoking, shouting, singing or a throat infection, for example. You could print this page and the symptoms. Ask your GP to explain why they don’t think you need a referral. 

Contact your GP again if your symptoms don't get better or you notice any new or unusual symptoms.

What should you do if you don’t get an appointment?

If your GP has referred you to a specialist, ask them when you should get your appointment. Contact them again if you don’t get one. Or some hospitals have a referral service you could try contacting if you know which hospital you are going to. Explain that you are waiting for an urgent suspected cancer referral.

Go to more information about an urgent referral, what to expect and questions to ask

Waiting times

Your hospital is working towards waiting time targets. For example, a target to find out whether you have cancer or not. And there are targets to start treatment if you are diagnosed with cancer. These are slightly different depending on where you live in the UK.

Find out about cancer waiting times