What is the postoperative care for tongue cancer

Tongue cancer is the most common oral cancer, and it occurs more often in men than in women. Most tongue cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, especially in the front 2/3 of the tongue. Adenocarcinomas are less common and are mostly located at the root of the tongue. Lymphoepithelial carcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma may also occur at the root of the tongue. Tongue cancer mostly occurs at the edge of the tongue, followed by the tip, back and root of the tongue, and is often ulcerative or infiltrative. It is generally highly malignant, grows fast, and is highly invasive. It often affects the tongue muscles, resulting in limited tongue movement, making it difficult to speak, eat and swallow. Tongue cancer can invade the palatoglossal arch and tonsils posteriorly. In the late stage, tongue cancer can spread to the floor of the mouth and jawbone, fixing the entire tongue.

The 5-year survival rate of tongue cancer after treatment is about 30% to 50%, and its prognosis is closely related to the early or late stage of the lesion. In addition, it is also related to the location of the lesion, whether there is cervical lymph node metastasis, and the treatment method. For example, except for the late stage, the prognosis of tongue tip cancer is generally good; the 5-year survival rate of patients with cervical lymph node metastasis is 21.4%, and that of patients without metastasis is 50%. The following points should be paid special attention to in preventing this disease:

Tongue cancer surgery postoperative care:

1. Lie flat without pillow, tilt the head to the healthy side, and apply brake to the neck to prevent pulling the vascular pedicle of the pectoralis major muscle. 24 hours after surgery, the patient can sit in a semi-recumbent position, pat the back, and turn over frequently to prevent the occurrence of hypostatic pneumonia and bedsores, and keep the room temperature at 22-25℃.

2. Closely observe the changes in vital signs, especially breathing, and keep the airway open. If there is a tracheotomy, pay attention to timely suction of sputum to prevent obstruction and suffocation. Take good care of the tracheal cuff and give α-chymotrypsin + chloramphenicol eye drops cannula q2h. Ultrasonic atomization inhalation therapy and back patting are conducive to expectoration of sputum, and guide patients to expectorate effectively.

3. Observe whether the drainage tube is unobstructed to prevent it from falling off, twisting, or leaking. Record the color, quality, and quantity of the drainage fluid and report any abnormality in a timely manner.

4. Observe the survival of the flap after surgery and measure the temperature with a skin thermometer. If the flap is pale and the skin temperature is lower than 2-3 degrees 72 hours after surgery, it is due to insufficient arterial blood supply. If the flap is dark red and the skin temperature is lower than 3-5 degrees, it is mostly due to venous reflux obstruction. 500ml of low-molecular dextran or compound danshen solution should be given intravenously to dilate blood vessels and improve blood supply to the flap.

Safety Tips

1. Pay attention to oral hygiene, brush your teeth every morning and evening, and rinse your mouth after meals.

2. If there are cavities, they should be filled early. The residual crowns and roots that can be repaired should be treated in time to restore the normal anatomical shape of the teeth as soon as possible.

3. Grind the sharp non-functional cusps and marginal ridges to make the cusps and marginal ridges on the occlusal surface of the crown rounded and blunt to prevent damage to the lingual marginal tissue.

4. If benign lesions or precancerous lesions are found, such as papilloma of the tongue or erosive lichen planus, they should be removed and biopsied in time, or actively treated and observed regularly. 5. Quit bad habits such as smoking and drinking, strengthen physical exercise, improve nutrition, eat more fresh fruits rich in vitamins and with anti-cancer and anti-cancer effects, and eat less irritating foods.