Tongue cancer is typically grouped with other head and neck cancers. Depending on where the cancer is located on the tongue, it can be either an oral cavity cancer or a throat cancer. This cancer is very curable, according to the Mayo Clinic, when it is caught early. Even if the cancer is more advanced at diagnosis, it is still highly treatable.
Significance
According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with tongue cancer each year. This cancer is diagnosed more often in people who smoke cigarettes regularly and in those who are dependent on alcohol. Cancer of the front two-thirds of the tongue is classified as oral tongue cancer, which is considered an oral cavity cancer; cancer in the back third of the tongue is called tongue base cancer, and is considered a throat, or oropharyngeal, cancer.
Features
The American Cancer Society lists symptoms of tongue cancer as a white or red patch on the tongue that does not go away, persistent mouth or tongue pain, a persistent sore on the tongue, difficulty moving the jaw or tongue, numbness in the tongue that is not relieved, weight loss and bad breath. Since these symptoms can also be signs of other ailments, an accurate diagnosis is important so that appropriate treatment may be given.
Diagnosis
Tests to aid in the diagnosis of tongue cancer include a thorough physical exam and an exam of the oral cavity and throat; a neck exam, which includes examination of lymph nodes to check for swelling or lumps; the use of mirrors or small scopes in the back of the throat or down the throat to obtain a better view of the area, called indirect or direct laryngoscopy and pharyngoscopy; and biopsies, which may include scraping an area of the tongue to look at cells, removing a small amount of tissue from the tongue, or using a needle to take a sample of fluid from the tongue to check for cancer cells.
Staging
Once tongue cancer is diagnosed, staging takes place. Staging uses a standardized classification system based on the tumor size, involved lymph nodes and whether there are any distant metastases; this is typically called the TNM system, according to the American Cancer Society. Imaging tests like CT scans, PET scans and chest X-rays help to stage the cancer. Stages range from Stage 0, which is noninvasive cancer--also called carcinoma in situ--to Stage IV, which is metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer means the cancer has spread to distant parts or organs in the body.
Treatment
The Mayo Clinic describes tongue cancer treatment as dependent on the stage and type of tongue cancer. Oral tongue cancer treatment commonly consists of surgery and radiation therapy; tongue base cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy and radiation, with or without subsequent surgery. Surgery for tongue cancer can consist of removing the tumor using lasers or cautery, removal of lymph nodes in the neck, or breaking the jawbone and removing the tumor by an incision made in the neck.
Time Frame
Cancer survival rates are defined in five-year survival percentages; these percentages are the amount of people still alive five years post-diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, for Stage I tongue cancer, the five-year survival rate is 71 percent; Stage II is 59 percent; Stage III is 47 percent; and Stage IV is 37 percent.
