Symptoms of Tongue Cancer and its potential causes

Tongue Cancer: Causes, Warning Signs and when to seek health care professionals?

Tongue cancer is an oral cancer that develops on the tongue’s squamous cells. It usually occurs at the front of the tongue. The early signs of tongue cancer are similar to mouth and tongue ulcers. Thus, it becomes difficult to identify whether the affected person has cancer or a simple ulcer.

Knowing the symptoms of tongue cancer can help detect the condition early, providing enough time for proper treatment. Read on to learn more about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tongue cancer.

What are the Causes of Tongue Cancer?

Tongue cancer causes are still unclear to doctors, but changes in the DNA of healthy tongue cells lead to cancer. DNA in the cells instructs them on what they should or should not do. It instructs the uncontrolled growth of the cells, which leads to excessive cell generation and forms tumors.

What are the Risk Factors of Tongue Cancer?

The primary risk factors of tongue cancer are HPV infection, alcohol and tobacco. However, the following are some more risk factors associated with tongue cancer:

• Not including enough fruit, vegetables, and vitamin A-rich food in your diet
• Individuals older than 45 years
• Genetic issues
• Weak immunity
• Graft-versus-host disease
• Lichen planus (inflammation of mucous membranes)

What are the Symptoms of Tongue Cancer?

The symptoms of tongue cancer are not always visible. The visibility of tongue cancer symptoms depends on the tumor’s location and the progression of the disease. However, here are some of the most common tongue cancer warning signs:

• The occurrenceof a lump on the side of your tongue that often bleeds
• Erythroplakia (red) or leukoplakia (white) patches
• Greyish or red tongue ulcer
• Chronic pharyngitis or sore throat that persists for an extended period
• Neckand ear pain
• Thickening of the skin inside the mouth
• Pain or difficulty while chewing and swallowing
• Hoarseness
• Numbness in the mouth or tongue
• Swelling in the jaw
• Burning sensation on the tongue
• Sudden changes in the fittings of your dentures
• Loose teeth

What are the Different Stages of Tongue Cancer?

Doctors classify cancer types into different stages based on tumor size. While categorizing the stages, they check whether other parts of the body and lymph nodes are affected by the tumor, whether it has metastasized, etc.

The classification system for cancer is TNM, or 0-4. Here are the letters that stand for the following:

• T – local spread and size of the tumor
• N – number of lymph nodes near the affected area where the cancer has already spread. It also represents the size and location of the lymph nodes.
• M – It indicates if the cancer has metastasized to other body parts.

The number is added to these letters to represent the extent of each condition. For example, N0 indicates that the tongue or oral cancer has not spread to any neck lymph nodes. Meanwhile, N3 denotes that it has spread to many lymph nodes.

Tongue cancer is also classified as follows:

• Low grade
• Moderate
• High grade
   

Grading describes the abnormal tumor cells that look under a microscope, ranging from well-differentiated (similar to normal cells) to poorly differentiated. Because oral cancers linked to HPV behave differently, a separate staging system is used.

Doctors will explain the specific staging system to ensure patients understand their cancer stage.

How to Diagnose Tongue Cancer?

In most cases, a dentist identifies tongue or oral cancer upon detecting abnormalities in areas where cancer cells may be present. In such cases, they refer the condition to a specialist for proper diagnosis.

Doctors will perform the following steps during your appointment for tongue cancer diagnosis:

• Ask about the patient and their family’s medical history
• Examine enlargement in the lymph nodes
• Check the mouth and tongue
   

The doctor will recommend a biopsy test upon suspecting tongue cancer. In this procedure, a small tissue sample from your tongue will be removed as a sample to be checked in the lab.

Pathologists will check if the cells are cancerous or not. If the doctor detects cancer, he will ask you for further tests, such as the following, to check if any other parts of your body have been affected by cancer:

• MRI (magneticresonance imaging)
• CT (computed tomography) scan
• PET (positron emission tomography) scan

What are the Treatment Methods for Tongue Cancer?

The treatment of tongue cancer depends on the tumor’s size, location, and how far it has spread. Here are a few of the treatment options to consider:

1. Surgery

Surgery is often the main approach, involving removal of part or all of the tongue (glossectomy), and sometimes lymph nodes in the neck to prevent further spread.

2. Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor or, more commonly, after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells. In some cases, mainly if cancer has spread, radiation may be used alone or combined with chemotherapy.

3. Drug Therapy

Drug therapies, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, are considered for advanced cases or when surgery isn't possible. A multidisciplinary team usually determines the treatment plan for tongue cancer.

How to Prevent Tongue Cancer?

Here are some of the ways you can reduce the risks of tongue cancer:

1. Avoid Tobacco

Tobacco increases the risk of tongue cancer. So, if you are taking tobacco, stop it immediately. If needed, seek help from your healthcare provider.

2. Limit Intake of Alcohol

Individuals must consume alcohol in moderation. A healthy woman can take one drink daily, and a healthy man can take two.

3. Go for Regular Health and Dental Check-ups

Dentists and doctors check your mouth when you visit for a routine check-up. This helps in the early detection of tongue cancer, as it can identify the signs of precancerous symptoms.

4. HPV Vaccination

As HPV is one of the leading causes of tongue cancer, you must prevent this condition. An HPV vaccine can help reduce the risks of HPV and thereby prevent oral cancer.

Tongue cancer can be severe and painful, so it’s crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible. Having health insurance is also wise to safeguard your health and finances at critical times.

At Star Health, we offer extensive coverage for cancer under our Star Cancer Care Platinum Insurance Policy, specifically tailored to your needs. We also provide hassle-free claim settlements with reduced turnaround time across over 14,000 network hospitals in India.