There are several ways to check for tongue cancer

How many methods are there to check for tongue cancer? Although tongue cancer is not a common cancer, it does not mean that we can ignore the existence of this disease. We need to raise awareness of the prevention of tongue cancer in our lives. If you find symptoms similar to tongue cancer, you should go to the hospital for examination in time. So how many methods are there to check for tongue cancer?

Tongue cancer has a short course and develops quickly. In the early stage, a small hard lump can be seen on the tongue, shaped like a bean, which gradually forms a noticeable swelling, and a small ulcer with a slightly raised edge appears in the center of the lump. It is hard and painless at first, or grows like a fungus, with a large head and a small stalk. Pain and erosion may occur, which is more severe in the morning and evening. The lesion gradually spreads to the deep and surrounding tissues. When combined with infection, it causes more severe pain, which can radiate to the face and ear on the same side.

The disease is highly invasive. Cancer can extensively affect the tongue muscles, restricting the movement of the tongue, affecting speech, eating and swallowing, and causing excessive drooling with a foul odor. When the floor of the mouth is invaded or the entire tongue is involved beyond the midline, the tongue is completely fixed, causing difficulty in swallowing. Cancer ulcers can bleed and invade the gums, even causing swelling and hard ulcers in the neck and jaw. When the floor of the jaw and the jawbone are invaded, soup can flow out through the tongue and cheeks.

The main methods for detecting tongue cancer are as follows:

1. Imaging examinations such as X-rays, tomography and CT are of diagnostic value in determining the extent of tongue cancer invasion.

2. Pathological cytology examination Exfoliative cytology examination confirms that it is cancer cell, which is helpful for the diagnosis of this disease. More than 95% of tongue cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, while adenocarcinomas from salivary glands are rare; and the proportion of adenocarcinomas in tongue root cancer can be as high as more than 30%. If the submandibular and cervical lymph nodes are swollen, a biopsy can be performed to confirm whether there is metastasis.

3. Cervical lymph node biopsy Tongue cancer often metastasizes to the cervical lymph nodes, especially under the digastric muscle and submandibular. The neck should be carefully examined and a cervical lymph node biopsy should be performed when necessary, which is of certain significance in the diagnosis and staging of the disease.