Your doctor will ask about any past medical conditions, including a history of skin cancer. The doctor may take a biopsy of a suspicious growth to confirm the diagnosis. Cancer near the ear is often treatable with surgery, but some cases may require a biopsy to find out the cause of the cancer.
Melanoma of the ear is typically treated with a confirmatory excision biopsy. The next step in treatment depends on the size of the tumour and its depth. Tumours greater than 1.5mm require radical removal of the affected tissue. Early treatment combined with reconstruction of the defect can lead to excellent long-term outcomes. While excising the entire ear is not always possible, a total ear reconstruction may be necessary.
If a biopsy cannot detect the cancer, other tests may be necessary. A doctor may perform an MRI or CT scan to confirm the diagnosis and determine the cause of the tumor. Imaging tests may also be necessary to determine whether the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body. The doctor may also perform a PET-CT scan to see if there is evidence of spread. However, most patients will be given the treatment of their choice based on their individual needs.
Another type of cancer that may affect the ear is basal cell carcinoma. This type of cancer originates in the glands responsible for earwax. The risk of developing adenocarcinoma is slightly lower than that of basal cell carcinoma. Symptoms of this cancer include bleeding. Other forms of cancer near the ear may be squamous cell carcinoma or cancer of the parotid glands. The latter can spread to the ear through lymph nodes within the parotid glands.
If a tumor is detected in the ear, the doctor will order an MRI or CT scan. The results of these tests will determine the stage of the cancer, which tells how big the tumor is and how far it has spread. Patients with cancer in this region can have the disease removed through surgery or radiotherapy. However, their survival rate will depend on the location of the tumor and the stage it has reached. Nonetheless, it is still important to see a doctor if a growth has grown around the ear or you experience unexplained pain in the ear.
The surgical procedure for cancer near the ear can be performed in three different ways. The most common procedure is radical temporal bone resection, which involves removing almost all of the temporal bone. If the tumor has spread to the brain, a head and neck surgical team is required to perform a radical temporal bone resection. For more advanced cases, an en bloc surgery can be performed. Finally, partial temporal bone resection, subtotal petrosectomy, and a partial temporal bone resection are also performed.
