How to diagnose tongue cancer

How to diagnose tongue cancer? Although tongue cancer is relatively easy to diagnose, professional diagnosis and examination before treatment is still an indispensable step, because it is also very important to allow doctors to more intuitively understand the degree of disease progression and decide on specific treatment plans. So how to diagnose tongue cancer?

Tongue cancer is the most common oral cancer, and it is 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 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 the jawbone, fixing the entire tongue.

Secondary infection or cancer at the root of the tongue often causes severe pain that radiates to the same side of the head and face. Because the tongue has abundant lymphatic vessels and blood circulation, and the tongue has frequent mechanical movements, tongue cancer metastasizes earlier and has a higher chance of metastasis.

Diagnosis of tongue cancer

The diagnosis of tongue cancer is generally easy, but we should be vigilant for early stage tongue cancer, especially the invasive type. Palpation is more important than inspection for the diagnosis of tongue cancer. Biopsy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis. According to data from my country, the 3-5 year survival rate of surgical treatment is generally above 60%; for T1 cases, it can reach above 90%.

During the treatment, the patient can also sit for a while after meals or take a slow walk every day to increase the patient's appetite, thereby increasing the patient's body resistance. To improve the long-term efficacy of tongue cancer, early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment, and regular follow-up are necessary. Control the development of the disease, eliminate residual cancer cells after surgery, improve people's immunity, appetite, sleep, and quality of life.