Vetting Guidance

All guidance contained within represents suggested local practice from Derriford consultants, but is only general guidance - do not apply blindly and where uncertainty persists ask someone.

By pathology (malignancies):

This covers suspected upper aerodigestive tract, major salivary gland tumours, and neck lymphadenopathy with unknown primary. MRI neck requests should be sent to the head and neck vetting silo “HNREP”.

If low risk:

• Non-contrast MRI neck

If high risk:

• MRI neck with contrast
• CT thorax with contrast

LOW RISK Patients:

• Have 2WW symptoms - e.g. referred otalgia, chronic lateralising throat pain, FOSIT
• Have NORMAL examination including fibre-optic nasendoscopy.
• No palpable suspicious neck lumps (by ENT/MaxFacs) or normal neck US.
• No previous H&N malignancy/treatment.
• Following multiple normal surveillance studies, can change to non-contrast surveillance.

HIGH RISK Patients:

• Have abnormal examination on FNE - suspicious nasal, pharyngeal or laryngeal mass.
• Oral cavity lesion on MaxFacs examination.
• Abnormal neck lump (ideally confirmed as pathological on US).
• Post-treatment patients / suspected recurrence.

While these are often requested, MRI head is rarely indicated in suspected ENT cancers - MRI neck sequences are sufficient to assess skull base invasion and perineural spread. MRI head is only required where there is a scalp lesion with suspected skull invasion, or where there is the suspicion of intracranial metastasis indicated by suspicious neurological symptoms. Feel free to send these study to the HNREP vetting silo for H&N to assess.