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American Head & Neck Society

American Head & Neck Society

Advancing Education, Research, and Quality of Care for the Head and Neck oncology patient.

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What happens before surgery?

Biopsy: You may have a needle biopsy to find out what type of tumor is in the gland and
whether it is cancer. This might be done with ultrasound to guide the needle into the right spot.
Imaging: You may have imaging to determine the size and extent of the tumor and whether it has
spread out of the parotid gland. This could be an ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan,
or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan may
be performed if the tumor is cancerous to make sure it has not spread anywhere else in the body.
Preoperative assessment: You may need evaluation by an anesthesiologist and other medical
providers to make sure you can safely undergo surgery.

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