Common initial manifestations of head and neck cancers include An asymptomatic neck mass Painful mucosal ulceration Visible mucosal lesion (eg, leukoplakia, erythroplakia) Hoarseness Dysphagia Subsequent symptoms depend on location and extent of the tumor and include Pain Paresthesia Nerve palsies Trismus Halitosis Otalgia is an often overlooked symptom usually representing referred pain from the primary tumor.