The incidence of tongue cancer is about three times higher in men than in women, although the ratio is changing due to the rise in female smoking. The average age at the time of diagnosis is fifty years, but it is possible to develop it at a younger age. Researchers are unsure of the exact causes of this disease, but certain risk factors have been identified, including age, smoking, and alcohol use. Read on to learn more about tongue cancer in men and women.
The most accurate and informative test for oral cavity tumors is computed tomography, or CT. Compared to other imaging techniques, CT can differentiate between soft and hard tissues. It also has higher spatial resolution than MRI. While MRI can detect bone erosion, it cannot accurately depict soft tissues. It is recommended that patients undergo a CT scan after any abnormalities are suspected. Further, CT scans can provide more detailed information about the location and extent of lymph node involvement.
Treatment for tongue cancer depends on the stage at which it is diagnosed. Early stage tumors can be surgically removed. Stage IV tumors, meanwhile, are treated with radiation therapy. The goal of treatment for stage IV tongue cancer is to destroy the remaining cells in the tongue. In addition to radiation therapy, a multidisciplinary team of experts including a surgeon specializing in head and neck cancer, a dentist, a prosthodontist, a plastic surgeon, a medical oncologist, a psychologist, and a speech therapist will work with the patient to plan their treatment.
In terms of survival, stage III and IV oral tongue cancers have the lowest overall survival rates. In fact, patients in the younger age group have higher survival rates than their elder counterparts. In addition, stage I and II SCCs are associated with higher rates of treatment failure, and combined surgery and radiation therapy are used only in a minority of cases. Although the overall survival rates are relatively high, treatment failures often require more aggressive local treatment.
Depending on the stage and extent of the cancer, a doctor may recommend surgery. For patients with a stage III or IV tumor, sentinel lymph node biopsy may be an option instead of an elective neck dissection. The procedure can identify occult cervical metastasis, but it is not necessary for early stage tongue cancer. However, if stage IV cancer is not detected, patients with the advanced stage of the disease can undergo neck dissection.
People with a family history of mouth cancer should be especially vigilant about the early symptoms of the disease and schedule regular exams with their dentist and physician. The most common type of tongue cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that are commonly found on the surface of the skin and in the lining of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Among oral cancer patients, the cause-specific survival was lower than that of cancers in other parts of the body.
