Tongue cancer originates on the front surface of the tongue. However, it may also occur at the base of the tongue. Tongue cancer is classified into various stages. Each stage has three categories:
- The size of the tumour is expressed in T. T1 tumours are the smallest, whereas T4 tumours are the biggest.
- The letter N indicates whether or not the malignancy has spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. No means cancer has not spread.
- N3 means it has spread to a substantial number of lymph nodes. There may or may not be additional metastases in other body parts.
Causes and Symptoms of Tongue Cancer
The reason behind it is still unknown; however, those who possess certain behaviours and lifestyles are prone to suffer from it; these habits include
- Chewing tobacco or betel
- Drinking alcohol
- Poor oral hygiene
- Family history
- S*xually transmitted diseases
The symptoms of early-stage cancer are less frequently noticed. Some of them are:
- A mouth ulcer that doesn’t heal
- Painful and bleeding tongue
- Lump on the tongue
- Sore throat
To identify these symptoms, contact Nanavati Max hospital and consult the best oncologist in Mumbai.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Early-stage tongue cancer diagnosis includes a medical history and a question-answer session regarding symptoms. Also, doctors may use the following diagnostic procedures:
- An X-ray or CT scan of the mouth and throat.
- PET scans (positron emission tomography) use radiation to identify unusually high activity levels in different organs.
- A small tumour tissue sample biopsy is often necessary to detect tongue cancer.
After a successful diagnosis of tongue cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination can be used depending upon the stage.
Conclusion
Do not ignore any abnormality inside the mouth, neck, or throat. For more details, reach out to the cancer specialist in Mumbai.
