Tongue Cancer Symptoms And Treatment
Once tongue cancer symptoms have been recognized and diagnosed, tongue cancer patients are managed by surgery. The actual surgical protocol, however, depends on the stage of the tumor, the extent of the cancer spread, and the location of the tumor. The tongue cancer can be in the front freely-moving part of the tongue, or at the base of the tongue. The surgery for the base of the tongue (in the throat) is difficult and complicated. It may involve the removal of larynx (also called the voice box) in addition to the tumor. Since the tumors in the base of the tongue have a much higher chance of affecting the surrounding tissues and the lymph nodes, the removal of all these affected areas may leave a lot of scarring and disfigurements.
Tongue tissue is not a single block of muscular tissue, but is now believed to have a modular build. These modules, or compartments, are arranged in functional and anatomical units. Oral surgeons have started to take advantage of this structural fact, and have developed a procedure called compartmental tongue surgery. In this surgical procedure, the surgeon removes the section of tongue containing the affected muscle, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves and glands within a compartment. The surgeon then removes the cancer-affected areas compartment-by-compartment, leaving behind only the normal compartments. This surgical procedure is much better than regular surgery. The oncologists at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan found that nearly 90% of compartmental tongue surgery patients were cancer-free after five years. On the other hand, about 70% of regular surgery patients were cancer-free after five years. All tongue cancer patients who undergo surgery also are treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both.
Tongue cancer surgery often has serious side-effects or complications. Functional impairments, such as the loss of swallowing ability and speech, require years of physical and speech therapy. Part of the surgically-removed tongue may be reconstructed, using a section of the muscle from the patient's abdominal wall. The facial disfigurement requires plastic surgery, but still may leave deep emotional scars. All surgical procedures come with an added risk of second (also called recurrent) tumors.
Patients with tumors in the front two-thirds of the tongue are generally given the choice of surgery. However, the tumors in the back of the tongue are sometimes not easily operable. The latter patients are then managed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are two ways to deliver radiotherapy. A radioactive pellet or a seed may be implanted in the middle of a tumor, or alternatively, a radiation beam is directed to the tumor mass from an external radiation-generating source. Radiotherapy has serious side-effects, such as damage to the voice box, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and burning sensation. However, many of these side-effects resolve some time after the therapy is over. There are powerful chemotherapeutic drugs available which may help to manage the late-stage tongue cancers. These include paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatinum and carboplatin. These drugs, when used in combination with radiation therapy, have helped in achieving nearly 100% cancer survival rate. Newer drugs targeting EGFR markers are also making a huge dent in the fight against tongue cancer. The purpose of this article is to increase your awareness of tongue cancer symptoms, and expand on your knowledge of tongue cancer treatments.
Tongue tissue is not a single block of muscular tissue, but is now believed to have a modular build. These modules, or compartments, are arranged in functional and anatomical units. Oral surgeons have started to take advantage of this structural fact, and have developed a procedure called compartmental tongue surgery. In this surgical procedure, the surgeon removes the section of tongue containing the affected muscle, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves and glands within a compartment. The surgeon then removes the cancer-affected areas compartment-by-compartment, leaving behind only the normal compartments. This surgical procedure is much better than regular surgery. The oncologists at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan found that nearly 90% of compartmental tongue surgery patients were cancer-free after five years. On the other hand, about 70% of regular surgery patients were cancer-free after five years. All tongue cancer patients who undergo surgery also are treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both.
Tongue cancer surgery often has serious side-effects or complications. Functional impairments, such as the loss of swallowing ability and speech, require years of physical and speech therapy. Part of the surgically-removed tongue may be reconstructed, using a section of the muscle from the patient's abdominal wall. The facial disfigurement requires plastic surgery, but still may leave deep emotional scars. All surgical procedures come with an added risk of second (also called recurrent) tumors.
Patients with tumors in the front two-thirds of the tongue are generally given the choice of surgery. However, the tumors in the back of the tongue are sometimes not easily operable. The latter patients are then managed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are two ways to deliver radiotherapy. A radioactive pellet or a seed may be implanted in the middle of a tumor, or alternatively, a radiation beam is directed to the tumor mass from an external radiation-generating source. Radiotherapy has serious side-effects, such as damage to the voice box, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and burning sensation. However, many of these side-effects resolve some time after the therapy is over. There are powerful chemotherapeutic drugs available which may help to manage the late-stage tongue cancers. These include paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatinum and carboplatin. These drugs, when used in combination with radiation therapy, have helped in achieving nearly 100% cancer survival rate. Newer drugs targeting EGFR markers are also making a huge dent in the fight against tongue cancer. The purpose of this article is to increase your awareness of tongue cancer symptoms, and expand on your knowledge of tongue cancer treatments.
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