Do you know what tongue cancer is?

Do you know what tongue cancer is? Diseases are everywhere in our lives, so we need to pay attention to our health and do daily preventive work. Tongue cancer is a common malignant tumor in the oral and maxillofacial region, more common in men than in women, and most are squamous cell carcinomas. Let us now introduce some specific knowledge about tongue cancer.

The cause of tongue cancer has not yet been fully understood. Most people believe that its occurrence is related to environmental factors, such as heat, chronic injury, ultraviolet rays, X-rays and other radioactive substances, which can all become carcinogenic factors. For example, tongue and cheek mucosal cancer can occur in areas of long-term and frequent stimulation such as residual roots, sharp tooth tips, and poor restorations. In addition, neuropsychiatric factors, endocrine factors, the body's immune status, and genetic factors have all been found to be related to the occurrence of tongue cancer.

The disease often occurs on the edge of the tongue, followed by the tip, back and belly of the tongue, and there may be a history of local leukoplakia or chronic irritation. It is often ulcerative or infiltrative, grows fast, is painful, and has strong infiltration. There may be limited tongue movement, difficulty eating and swallowing, and cervical lymph node metastasis often occurs in the early stage.

Tongue cancer usually 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 infiltrative, often affecting the tongue muscles, resulting in limited tongue movement and making it difficult to speak, eat and swallow. In China, oral and maxillofacial squamous cell carcinoma usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 60, more often in men than in women, with gingival cancer, tongue cancer, cheek cancer, palate cancer and maxillary sinus cancer being the most common.

Surgery is the main treatment for tongue cancer. For T1 cases, wedge-shaped resection more than 1 cm away from the lesion can be performed and sutured directly; for T2-T4 cases, hemiglossectomy or even total glossectomy should be performed. As an important organ for mastication and speech, reconstruction should be performed when more than 1/2 of the tongue is missing. Chemotherapy can be used before or after surgery, but because of its serious side effects, it should be used under the guidance of a physician and with close observation of blood counts.

Removing the causes of tongue cancer and enhancing the body's resistance are effective measures to prevent tongue cancer. Pay attention to oral hygiene, brush your teeth every morning and evening, and rinse your mouth after meals; have an oral examination 1-2 times a year, and treat dental and periodontal diseases in a timely manner. If there are lesions, they should be removed as soon as possible. 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 a timely manner, or actively treated and observed regularly.