If you have been diagnosed with tongue cancer, you probably wonder if your prognosis is good. In general, the prognosis depends on the stage of the cancer and the effectiveness of treatment. If detected early, 83.7 percent of those diagnosed with stage 1 cancer will survive for five years. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the mouth or throat, your prognosis is less optimistic. However, you should not give up hope – you can always seek medical treatment.
You should see your doctor as soon as possible if you suspect you have tongue cancer. The doctor may conduct a biopsy to check for the presence of tumors. If the tissue is cancerous, the results will be sent for testing. Other tests, such as CT scans, can be done to see if it has spread to other parts of the body. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the better your prognosis. During the initial stages of the disease, it is common for doctors to ignore the initial symptoms of tongue cancer and delay advanced diagnostic tests. This can lead to the removal of the entire tongue.
Surgery can help to remove early-stage tongue cancer. However, surgery alone is not sufficient. Radiation therapy may be required if the tumor has spread to other parts of the neck. In cases where it has spread to the lymph nodes, doctors may opt for radiation therapy. However, patients should understand that the decision to undergo treatment depends on several factors. The choice of the surgical method should be influenced by the patient’s personal preference and the stage of the disease.
Aside from smoking, alcohol also increases the risk of developing tongue cancer. While it is a weaker carcinogen than tobacco, alcohol increases the risk by a factor of ten to thirty-six-fold if taken in conjunction with tobacco. As a result, smokers and drinkers are more likely to develop tongue cancer. A person with a history of tongue cancer is at a higher risk of developing the disease than someone who has never smoked.
There are several causes of tongue cancer, including smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, chewing betel nuts, and poor nutrition. Additionally, prolonged exposure to cigarette butts can also lead to tongue cancer. If the cancer has advanced enough to require surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy will not cure the disease. To ensure the best chance of survival, doctors recommend regular examinations with their patients. This way, patients can avoid unnecessary surgeries and treatments. If caught early, tongue cancer can be easily treated.
Despite the low overall survival rate of tongue cancer, the survival rate for other types of oral cancers is better than before. About 50,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every year, twice as many men as women. And around 10,000 will die of it. In addition, the treatment of tongue cancer will help patients with the disease’s prognosis. However, there are some risks to chemotherapy, which can increase the chance of a patient’s recurrence.
