If cancer near your ear hurts, you should go see your doctor. Your doctor can examine the affected area and do blood tests to rule out other conditions. A biopsy of the affected area will be done by a pathologist, who examines the sample under a microscope. Although chemotherapy does not cure cancer, it can help ease symptoms and provide treatment options. Here are some tips to help you decide whether or not cancer is present in your ear.
The most common type of cancer in the ear is basal skin carcinoma. It causes a white or pearly bump in the ear’s outer layer. The bump may be painless and slowly grow, but it can also turn into an ulcer. If left untreated, it can spread to the inside of the ear and cause hearing loss, dizziness, and facial paralysis. Once it has spread to the middle ear, it can be hard to detect.
Adults who are experiencing unexplained ear pains should see an ENT specialist for a complete examination. A cancer in the throat can easily be hidden behind tonsils, palate, or tongue and may not be visible during a routine physical examination. Because the middle ear forms a pouch at the back of the throat, cancer in the back of the throat is usually undetectable on a physical examination.
Although ear cancer occurs rarely, it can affect the outer and inner parts of the ear. The outer part is the most likely site of ear cancer, but it can also spread to the eardrum, ear canal, and even the temporal bone (the bony lump behind the lobe). It is estimated that 300 Americans are diagnosed with cancer near the ear every year, making it the third most common form of cancer in the body.
Treatment for cancer near the ear involves surgery. If the cancer is detected early, treatment options can be tailored to the patient’s individual needs. In general, radiation therapy and surgery are the primary treatment options for ear cancer. Other treatments may include chemotherapy. A physician may recommend radiation therapy or chemotherapy if a tumor is located close to other structures. A biopsy is not always possible for cancer near the ear, but it is necessary in some cases.
Skin cancers of the ear are usually basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Skin cancers of the ear begin as a type of skin disease. The symptoms of skin cancer near the ear include a scaly patch of skin surrounding the ear and tiny white bumps on the outer lobe. Some types of ear cancer may even extend to the facial movement nerve. Hearing loss, facial weakness, and hearing loss are just some of the symptoms that may indicate cancer near the ear.
