Tongue Cancer- Symptoms, Causes, Stages & Treatment

Tongue cancer is a kind of mouth cancer growing in the tongue, primarily affecting the squamous cell that lines the mouth. As health concerns have been increasing recently, so has the improvement of medical science to find treatments for diseases like cancer.

Wondering how to avoid this disease? In this article, you will find everything about this cancer type and available treatment.

So, let’s begin!

Cancer on the tongue has been a severe health concern for a long time. While there might be various types of tongue cancer, squamous cell carcinoma in the tongue is the most common one. In this, squamous cells are affected on the tongue surface, causing tumours or lesions. It can occur in the following areas –

• On the skin surface
• In the mouth lining, throat, larynx and thyroid
• In the lining of digestive and respiratory tracts

Usually, since this cancer occurs in a sensitive area, it is almost impossible to detect early-stage tongue cancer. It is therefore essential to know the symptoms in advance to avoid tongue cancer or treat it.

A significant disadvantage is that the early stages hardly reveal any symptoms of tongue cancer. Initially starting as a tongue sore, tongue cancer in later stages might display the following symptoms.

Base of Tongue Cancer Symptoms

• Difficulty in moving the tongue
• Ear pain and a sore throat
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Red or white patches on the tongue or mouth lining
• Lump in the back of the mouth, neck or throat
• Muscle pain and voice hoarseness

Oral Tongue Cancer Symptoms

• Persistent mouth ulcer
• Mouth numbness
• Persistent sore throat
• Tongue bleeding for no apparent reason
• Persisting and bleeding lump on the tongue touching the teeth

It is crucial to identify early tongue cancer symptoms and their causes to avoid the adverse effects of the disease.

Even experts are not entirely aware of specific tongue cancer causes. However, there have been some speculations regarding a range of habits that might contribute to developing tongue cancer. 

• Tobacco consumption and its addiction
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Infection from Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Poor food diet with low consumption of fruits and vegetables
• Oral hygiene issues with jagged teeth or ill-fitted dentures
• Family history of tongue or mouth cancer

While these are usually assumed to cause tongue cancer, this disease might not be bound to just these causes. However, it is advisable to avoid such habits and stay safe from this disease.

The process of tongue cancer treatment rests upon the size of a tumour and the status of the cancer spread in the body cells. In early mouth cancer, minor surgery is usually sufficient for the treatment by removing the affected area.

• Partial Glossectomy: In this type of surgery, doctors remove a part of the tongue that they believe has cancer. It mainly occurs in large tumours. Patients might have to undergo reconstruction surgery if a large part of the tongue is removed in this procedure. Partial glossectomy has several side effects, including changes in their eating, breathing and swallowing. Patients will require speech therapy for coping with this.
• Radiation Therapy: The purpose of this therapy is to stop cancer from spreading and dividing in cells. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy is a popular form of radiation therapy used to treat hard-to-reach tumours. The treatment is also helpful in destroying cancelled cells and shrinking the Tumour.
• Chemotherapy: This therapy is usually followed in advanced tongue cancer stages. It is an alternative to surgery combined with radiotherapy. After surgery, doctors can also use it for decreasing the chances of cancer returning to the body. Moreover, when doctors cannot cure cancer, chemotherapy helps to control the symptoms.

When diagnosed at an early stage, tongue cancer treatment success rate is usually impressive. In this regard, tongue cancer prognosis reveals a 36% five-year survival rate among the patients. It solely depends upon the stage of cancer. The rate increases to 78% in case cancer has not spread beyond the tongue. Thus, identifying the early-stage tongue cancer symptoms guarantees higher survival.

One of the significant aspects considered in the prognosis of tongue cancer is an examination of the neck and lymph nodes before the primary therapy. A usual spread pattern of a tumour is seen from the tongue to the lymphatic nodes in the neck.

The survival rate for tongue cancer has been on the rise. It is evident from an increase in both oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and oral tongue SCCA, enhancing the survival rate by 90% in general.

There are no specific means or ways to prevent tongue cancer from developing in the human body. However, based on some common causes, doctors have guided the habits that can help avoid tongue cancer.

• Reduction in tobacco and alcohol consumption
• Healthy and planned food diet
• Improving dental hygiene with regular brushing and flossing
• Taking HPV vaccines
• Visiting a dentist every six months

Hopefully, the above guide has helped you understand what tongue cancer is and how to identify it early on. The treatment options can help patients tackle this condition in time, while other individuals can prevent it altogether by following the above tips.