Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract: a review

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) is the most common head and neck malignancy. The radiologist has several roles in the long-term management of patients with SCCa, the first of which is determining the extent of local disease spread and the presence of nodal metastases. The most widely used tumor staging system is the American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor node metastasis system, which creates the initial staging of SCCa patients. In this review the relevant reportable findings of pharyngeal SCCa are explored, and each subsite of the pharynx and larynx is addressed, from the nasopharynx to the hypopharynx.