What is the routine diagnostic sequence for tongue cancer

What is the routine diagnostic sequence for tongue cancer? The diagnosis of tongue cancer is the key to ensuring the effectiveness of treatment. Correct diagnosis of tongue cancer is conducive to choosing a more suitable treatment method for the patient, and the hope of cure will increase a lot. On the contrary, if the diagnosis is wrong, it will also affect the treatment. So what is the routine diagnostic sequence for tongue cancer?

Key points for diagnosis of tongue cancer

(—) Clinical manifestations

The early symptoms of tongue cancer are often not obvious. The initial onset may be painless, with slightly raised or unbroken nodules, which are often not noticed by people.

1) Local symptoms: initially, the disease presents as plaques of local tissue thickening, small mucosal nodules, or erosions, or fissures, which gradually form nodules and lumps. Ulcers with slightly raised edges may appear in the center of the lumps, which are slightly painful or without any conscious symptoms. The most common site of disease is the side edge of the middle 1/3 of the tongue, accounting for about 90%; followed by the root, belly and back of the tongue, and the least common is the tip of the tongue.

2) Pain and movement disorders. The lesions infiltrate deep into the surrounding tissues and ulcerate. Severe pain, bad breath, drooling, and tongue movement disorders may occur, affecting speech and swallowing. When the cancer involves the floor of the mouth and the entire tongue, the tongue is completely fixed and it is difficult to open the mouth.

3) Secondary infection. In the late stage, it is often complicated by infection, tissue necrosis, hemorrhage, nutritional disorders and aspiration pneumonia.

4) Lymph node metastasis: about 1/3 of tongue cancer patients have cervical lymph node metastasis.

2. Laboratory examination

(1) Biopsy: Scrape, bite or cut the suspected lesions on the tongue for biopsy. It is advisable to clamp the edge of the tumor including some healthy tissue, so that the positive rate is higher.

(2) Lymph node biopsy: Lymph node metastasis occurs early in this disease, especially in the cervical, submandibular and digastric lymph nodes. For patients with swollen cervical lymph nodes, lymph node biopsy should be performed if necessary.