Do you know about the early symptoms of tongue cancer?

Tongue cancer is the most common oral cancer, more common 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 carcinomas can also occur at the root of the tongue. Tongue cancers mostly occur at the edge of the tongue, followed by the tip, back and root of the tongue, and are often ulcerative or infiltrative.

Early symptoms of tongue cancer

1. Sudden appearance of mucosal erythema, edema, erosion, white spots and fissures, flat tongue lichen, protrusions and granular granulations in the oral cavity. Although there is no obvious discomfort, after 2 to 4 weeks of treatment, the symptoms not only fail to heal, but slowly spread and increase in size.

2. Sudden loosening and falling of teeth, poor bite when chewing food, discomfort of dentures for those with dentures, numbness and pain in the mouth and pharynx, and no improvement after general symptomatic treatment.

3. Long-term unhealed ulcers appear on the oral mucosa, and the mucosa becomes pale and dull, similar to leukoplakia, and fibrous nodules occur under the mucosa.

4. Localized thickening and scaling of the lip vermilion mucosa, accompanied by grayish-white keratotic plaques.

5. There are multiple unexplained bleeding in the mouth and difficulty opening and closing the mouth.

6. Sudden onset of increased salivation, drooling, bloody nasal discharge, choking sensation when swallowing, maxillofacial lumps and swollen lymph nodes, which persist and even gradually worsen.

7. Sudden restriction of tongue movement, slurred speech, and pain when speaking and swallowing.

8. Although some protrusions and growths in the oral cavity are benign lesions, such as papilloma, hyperplasia caused by denture stimulation, purulent granuloma, etc., a few have been proven to be squamous cell carcinoma by pathological histology, which should also arouse vigilance.

How to prevent tongue cancer

1. Try to quit bad habits such as smoking and drinking, pay more attention to fasting, and eat more foods rich in vitamins, which is very helpful in preventing tongue cancer.

2. We should always pay attention to our oral hygiene, and develop the good habit of brushing our teeth and rinsing our mouths every morning and evening.

3. If there are cavities, they should be filled early; residual crowns and roots that can be repaired should be dealt with in time to restore the normal anatomical shape of the teeth as soon as possible; residual crowns and roots that are difficult to cure should be removed in time and replaced with dentures on time even if there are no symptoms such as inflammation and pain.