Tongue cancer, categorized as a type of head and neck cancer, originates in the cells of the tongue and can manifest as ulcer or lump .
Tongue cancer may manifest in two primary locations: the front of the tongue, referred to as “oral tongue cancer,” or at the base of the tongue, close to its attachment point at the bottom of the mouth, known as “oropharyngeal cancer.”
The most prevalent form of tongue cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. Other rare cancers of minor salivary gland origin – Adenoid cystic carcinoma can arise in tongue as a pain less bulge in depth of tongue.
Several behaviors and conditions can heighten your susceptibility to tongue cancer, including:
The primary early indication of tongue cancer that frequently appears is an unhealed sore on the tongue, which tends to bleed easily. Additionally, individuals may experience mouth or tongue discomfort.
Further signs of tongue cancer encompass:
To diagnose tongue cancer, your doctor follows these steps:
Treatment for tongue cancer is determined by the tumor’s size and the extent of cancer spread, often involving a combination of therapies:
Most patients need an average stay of 4 days for minor surgery to 7 days in major surgeries. ICU stay is required for major surgery. Patients will have a feeding tube for maintaining nutrition during hospital stay.
Early stage tongue cancer is treated with wide excision of ulcer and primary closure followed by neck dissection.
Advanced stage cancer requires removal of tumor from tongue(partial or hemi glossectomy or subtotal or total glossectomy) with neck dissection followed by reconstruction with flaps. Reconstruction improves speech and swallowing of patient.
Below is an example of patient who underwent hemi glossectomy and reconstructed with ALT (Antero-lateral thigh free flap). So this enables patient to have good speech and swallowing.
This is an example of treated case of tongue cancer where tongue reconstruction was done with Radial fore arm free flap
Here local flap (sub mental flap) is used for reconstruction of tongue after hemi glossectomy
It is around 1 lakh - 2 lakhs, sometimes vary on seriousness of the cancer
By avoiding tobacco and alcohol are the best ways to prevent tongue cancer
2 weeks is the recovery period for tongue cancer treatment but again it depends on the condition of the patient
Dr Rahul Buggaveeti is the best Tongue Cancer doctor in Hyderabad