Tongue cancer | St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou

Tongue cancer

What Is Tongue Cancer?

Tongue cancer is the most common oral cancer, which mostly occurs in the margin of tongue, and other regions such as tip, dorsum and root of tongue. Tongue cancer is often manifested as ulcerated or infiltrative type.

According to statistics, the incidence rate of tongue cancer accounts for 0.8 % to 1.5% of systemic malignant tumors, 5% ~7.8 % of malignant tumors in head and neck, and 32.3% ~ 50.6 % of oral cancer. The incidence rate of tongue cancer is higher in men than women, and average age of incidence is about 60 years old.

So can middle and late-stage tongue cancer be cured? Minimally invasive techniques with little side effects and trauma can help bladder cancer patients avoid surgical resection, avoid suffering from traditional radiotherapy, and effectively prolong the survival period.

For more knowledge about cancer, please click online doctors for consultation.

Tongue cancer Traditional Treatment Methods

Surgical treatmentSurgery to remove cancerous tissue and clean cervical lymph nodes that may have metastasis.
Radiation TherapyRadiation therapy for follicular adenocarcinoma.
chemotherapyOften used as palliative therapy for inoperable or distantly metastatic advanced cancer.
Chinese treatmentTraditional Chinese medicine therapy can inhibit the development of cancer, improve the immune function of patients with thyroid cancer, and reduce the toxic and side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Tongue cancer Treatment Technology

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0728/7021.html

Combined Knife

Combined Knife, it’s not actual surgical knife, but a composite cryogenic freezing surgical system, which conduct cold and heat a

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0728/7019.html

Interventional Therapy

Interventional therapy is a mini-invasive therapy performed under the guidance of medical imaging equipments. With a 1-2 millimeter

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0818/7346.html

Nanoknife Technology

Nanoknife is a brand-new cutting-edge ablation technology for tumor treatment. It breaks the membrane of tumor cells with high volt

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0818/7311.html

Particle Knife

Particle knife (also called 125I Seed Implants) is applied to a variety of primary and metastatic tumors nowadays. 125I seeds are s

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0728/7020.html

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy, also named cryosurgery therapy or cryoablation, is a medical technique both ancient and modern.

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0818/7349.html

DEB-TACE

Drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

Drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) is an interventional therapy used in tumor treatment. It is

https://www.moderncancerhospitalmy.com/treatment-technologies/2023/0818/7327.html

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation, sometimes referred to as RFA, is a minimally invasive treatment for cancer. It is an image-guided techniqu

Tongue cancer Patients' Story

They come from different countries around the world, but they have experienced the same experience and endured the pain that cancer has brought to them. However, now, with the effective treatment and meticulous care of St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, they have rekindled their confidence in life and become anti-cancer fighters. Here, they share their anti-cancer experience, love and warmth with everyone.

Lung cancer: Ms. Manussawan; ThailandSurvive for more than 3 years

Lung Cancer: JAFFAR ABDUL MANAN; IndonesiaMore than 5 years

Liver cancer: Mr. Xie; MalaysiaSurvive for more than 5 years

lung cancer: Mr. Sun; ChinaSurvive for more than 2 years

spindle cell sarcoma: Ms. Li; ChinaSurvive for more than 5 years

Colorectal cancer: Nurdin; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 6 years

stomach cancer: BASTARI; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 8 years

breast cancer: Ms. Chen; MalaysiaSurvive for more than 9 years

Breast Cancer: SAIDAH; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 5 years

Gallbladder Cancer: ONG LEE SING; MalaysiaSurvive for more than 5 years

Liver Cancer: VO VAN HOA; VietnamSurvive for nearly 5 years

non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: HENKY TJANDRA; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 4 years

Breast Cancer: THE CARINA THERESIA; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 16 years

Ovarian Cancer: ERLINDA FRANCISCO; PhilippinesSurvive for more than 5 years

Esophageal Cancer: DAM VAN HOE; VietnamSurvive for more than 5 years

Lymphoma: MICHAEL SANJAYA IRAWAN; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 5 years

Endometrial Cancer: YATI; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 5 years

Lung Cancer: Nguyen Van Chuyen; VietnamSurvive for more than 5 years

thymus cancer: TARUMA TRIBUDIMAN; IndonesiaSurvive for more than 5 years

Lung Cancer: Thi Hue Nguyen; VietnamSurvive for more than 5 years

MDT TEAM

: Song Shijun; Chief Expert of Oncology Department | Chief physician

: Liu Yuansheng; Minimally Invasive Dean, Integrative Medicine Chief Expert | Deputy Chief Physician

: Peng Xiaochi; Director of Oncology Department | Chief Physician

: Dai Wenyan; Director of Oncology Department of Oncology, Director of Breast Cancer Center | Associate Chief Physician

: Ma Xiaoying; Director of Oncology Department | Associate Chief Physician

: Lin Jing; Deputy Director, International Oncology Ward | Attending Physician

: Wu Qingkai; Chief doctor | Attending Doctor

: Zhen Yanli; Director of Radiology Department | Associate Chief Physician

: Yin Pingshan; Distinguished expert of TCM Oncology | Chief Physician

: Zhao Yifan; Oncology Resident | Physician-in-Charge

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Tongue Cancer Symptoms

Tongue cancer is the most common oral cancer, and it accounts for 32%-39% of all oral cancers. As the incidence of tongue cancer rises gradually, to know and understand its causes and symptoms will help you detect and treat it early.

Causes of Tongue Cancer

1. Physical factors: chronic ulcers caused by continual friction between local lesions (residual root, residual crown and sharp dental ridge) and the margin of tongue may further develop into tongue cancer. Unhealthy oral hygiene can lead to choric inflammation. Plus mechanical injuries, it can be another co-carcinogenic factor. X-ray is also one of the physical factors; there are many cases caused by radiotherapy clinically.

2. Chemical factors: Addiction to tobacco and alcohol are found to be related to the occurrence of tongue cancer. The nicotine in tobacco may cause cancer. Alcohol does not cause cancer, but ethanol in it can be solvent of cancerogenic substances and carry them into the mucous membrane of tongue.

3. Biological carcinogens: Previous studies have showed that some papilloma viruses are related to the cause of tongue cancer.

4. Others: low immunity, nutrition metabolism diseases, etc.

5. Precancerous lesions: clinically some tongue cancers have oblivious precancerous pathological changes or lesions.

For more knowledge about cancer, please click online doctors for consultation.

Signs and Symptoms of Early-stage Tongue Cancer

Most tongue cancers develop on normal mucous membrane of tongue, which show as primary lesions. Only a few of them are developed from precancerous lesions. Most tongue cancers have no obvious early symptoms. When patients go to see a doctor due to tongue pain, usually the tumors have already exceeded 1-2 cm. Early-stage tongue cancers may be manifested as ulcerated, exophytic or infiltrative type. Exophytic tongue cancers are developed from canceration of papilloma, like cauliflowers. The most common clinical presentations of tongue cancer are ulcerated or infiltrative type often with spontaneous pain or tenderness, and some people even feel ear pain. Those lesions may accompany with infection, bleeding and stink. When cancer invades the muscles of tongue, it will cause rigid tongue, difficulty in swallowing, speech problems and increased discharge of saliva.

Signs and Symptoms of Advanced-stage Tongue Cancer

In advanced tongue cancer, tumor will invades organs on the other side of the cancer or mouth floor or even spread to lingual periosteum, osteone and bones of mandible. The tongue is rich of blood vessels and lymph nodes, so frequent compression of the muscle of tongue is especially easy to cause cancer cells to spread to lymph nodes of the neck. Most metastases are found in superior deep cervical lymphatic nodes. If the primary lesion spread to lymph nodes on the other side of the neck, then the metastases will be doubled. In advanced stage, tongue cancer may spread to lungs or other distant parts of the body.

Experts from St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou remind you that once any abnormity is found, please go for treatment as soon as possible.

For more knowledge about cancer, please click online doctors for consultation.

Tongue Cancer Diagnosis

Tongue cancer is a malignant tumor occurring in the tongue, divided into oral tongue carcinoma (2/3 anterior part of tongue) and tongue-base carcinoma (1/3 rear part of tongue). oral tongue carcinoma belongs to oral cancer, while tongue-base carcinoma is a kind of oropharyngeal cancer. Tongue cancer diagnosis is based on following examinations.

Clinical examination for tongue cancer

Cervical region, local and whole body condition should be paid attention when doing tongue cancer examination.

1. Local lesions of tumor: local lump or ulcer is the main clinical symptom of tongue cancer. Most mucosal faces of tumors are found ulcerative, necrotic, pseudomembrane or inclined to bleed. The hardened and unmovable lump would bleed when it is touched. Odors may be smelled because of tumor ulcer in individual cases. some patients may have difficulties in moving their tongues.

2. Enlargement of submandibular and cervical lymph nodes: when developing to a certain extent, tongue cancer may cause enlargement of submandibular and cervical lymph nodes by lymphatic metastasis. Those enlarged and hardened lymph nodes have little movability and may integrate together. In some serious cases, lymph nodes ulcerate and infection occurs.

Imageological examination for tongue cancer

Tongue cancer mainly occurs in the margin of 2/3 anterior part of tongue, followed by other regions such as tip, dorsum and root of tongue. Imageological examination is used to show the lesion extent and lymphatic metastasis condition. MRI is the first choice and sagittal check is the best compared with coronary and axial checks, which can differentiate normal membrane, submucosa, muscular layer and intermuscular space. Lesions can be shown clearly by fat suppressing T2WI and enhanced fat suppressing T1WI. CT scans is better than MRI in showing such bone destruction as lower jawbone, hyoid bone destruction. Enhanced multilayer spiral CT scans can also show lesions in sagittal view clearly.

Imaging manifestations of tongue cancer:

1. oral and oropharyngeal cavities become smaller and degenerate, with normal structure of fat line shadow between tongue muscle shifting, breaking off or disappearing.

2. Lump in tongue: CT scans show equal or low density, and MRI shows long T1 and T2 signals. There is even enhancement and necrotic cystic lesion is irregularly ring-like enhanced.

3. Advanced tongue cancer will spread around: it may affect palatoglossal arch and tonsils, and advanced tongue cancer may spread to mouth floor, jaw bone and hyoid bone.

4. Enlarged lymph nodes: tumor in the front of tongue mainly spread to deep upper and middle groups of lymph nodes in jaw and neck; tumor in tongue tip may spread to chin or middle groups of deep cervical lymph nodes; tumor in the root of tongue may spread to not only deep jaw and cervical lymph nodes groups, but also lymph nodes located in rear belemnoid part and pharynx; tumor in the dorsum or cross the tongue centerline may spread to contralateral cervical lymph nodes.

5. Distant metastasis: tongue cancer is easy to metastasize with high metastasis rate, and it mainly metastasizes to lung.

Laboratory examination for tongue cancer

Detection of the expression levels of such tumor markers as p53, c-myc, telomerase and the detection of R-70 are conducive to early diagnosis of tongue cancer.

The more early tongue cancer is detected, the better curative effects can be achieved. If there are any oral or pharyngeal cavities discomfort, go to normal hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.

For more knowledge about cancer, please click online doctors for consultation.