If a neck swelling or lump appears with no corresponding infection, it is wise to have this urgently investigated.

New Victoria Hospital’s new One-Stop Neck Lump Clinic is a gold standard service, providing a complete and comprehensive pathway that minimises unnecessary anxiety through the provision of a rapid neck lump diagnosis. The clinic is truly multi-disciplinary, with patients benefitting from the input of a Head and Neck Surgeon, Radiologist and Cytopathologist with substantial expertise in managing head and neck cancer patients.

Patients can be referred for any suspicious neck lumps and rest assured of a thorough clinical assessment, same day ultrasound neck scan, +/- biopsy if required, and accelerated pathology reporting. The clinic streamlines patient diagnosis and treatment, improves accuracy by clinical correlation, and reduces the chance of cancerous lymph nodes being inappropriately removed for diagnosis. It offers a significantly shorter and less-stressful pathway for patients.

Patients attending the clinic will be seen by the Head and Neck Surgeon. Following the clinic consultation, the patient will be seen in the Imaging Department where they will undergo a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) guided by ultrasound, with a specially qualified Radiologist. This biopsy is then analysed straight away by the on-site Cytopathologist. Immediate analysis of the biopsy sample is critical to ensure an adequate sample has been taken, thus reducing the non-diagnostic rate, and avoidance of unnecessary repeat biopsies. In addition, a provisional report on whether the biopsy is cancerous or benign can be given at the same time. The patient will then be seen again by the Head and Neck Consultant to discuss the results of the FNA. In most cases, the lump will be benign, but in those situations where that is not the case, an appointment can be made for further investigations or surgery, significantly expediting the diagnostic pathway.

To make an appointment at New Victoria Hospital’s One Stop Neck Lump Clinic, please call 020 8949 9020 or:

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