Specific tests depend on the location of the cancer.

Physical Examination 
• Inspection of the oral and nasal cavities, using mirrors and telescopes.
• Examination of suspicious lesions with the fingers (palpation), as well as examination of the back of the tongue.

Blood and Other Tests 
• Epstein-Barr (EB) virus antibody measurements may be helpful in diagnosing hidden nasopharyngeal primary
  cancer in patients with metastatic cancer in the cervical lymph nodes .

Imaging 
• X-rays of the sinuses and skull. 
• CT and MRI scans, barium esophogram, laryngogram and chest x-ray.

Endoscopy and Biopsy 
• Biopsy of suspicious lesions.
• In cases of metastatic cancer in cervical lymph nodes, biopsy of apparently normal tissues in the tonsils,
  throat and nasopharynx may be necessary to discover the site of origin.