Tongue cancer is a malignant tumor predominantly of squamous cell origin. It most often manifests on the lateral part of the tongue.
Causes
The development of oncogenic disease is most often caused by the following factors:
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Alcohol
- Professional contact with heavy metal salts or petroleum distillation products
- Various dental diseases and chronic inflammatory processes in the oral cavity
- Insufficient oral hygiene
- Precancerous conditions (e.g., leukoplakia or Bowen's disease).
Diagnosis of Tongue Cancer in Israel
Symptoms manifest very early. If attention is paid to the manifestations in time, tongue cancer can be easily detected:
- The initial stage is characterized by the appearance of discomfort and a small (up to 1 cm) tumor. This may be an ulcer or whitish spots mistaken for plaque on the tongue. There may be thickening of the mucosal tissue at the site of the cancerous process. The distinction of this stage is that the cancerous process does not yet have a precise localization and may give local symptoms characteristic of other oral diseases. Submandibular lymph nodes enlarge.
- In the advanced stage, pain manifests. It may be localized or radiate to other nearby organs: jaw, neck, ear, or temple. Patients report increased salivation and unpleasant breath, difficulty swallowing, numbness of the tongue, the neoplasm bleeds, itches, burns. The tongue loses mobility, causing speech disturbances.
- The advanced stage of tongue cancer progresses aggressively: the tumor metastasizes to all adjacent lymph nodes (submandibular, chin, cervical-occipital) and even distant organs (brain, lungs, liver).
The Ichilov clinic is equipped with the latest biomedical devices and systems that allow for detailed studies to confirm or refute the diagnosis of tongue cancer:
- Ultrasound of the tongue and neck
- Fine-needle biopsy of the tumor and puncture of nearby lymph nodes
- X-ray examination of the tongue and neck
- Computed tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Positron emission tomography
- Endoscopic examination of the tongue.
In addition to taking the medical history, detailed consultations with leading specialists in oncology, otolaryngology, and anesthesiology are conducted at the Ichilov clinic.
Treatment of Tongue Cancer in Israel
The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the easier the treatment of tongue cancer will be. At the early stages of the disease, the likelihood of complete recovery is much higher than in the metastatic advanced form. The treatment course includes surgical intervention, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Surgical treatment of tongue cancer in Israel includes several methods:
- Thermocoagulation
- Laser removal
- Gamma knife surgery
- Glossectomy. A surgery to remove the affected part of the tongue or the entire organ. It involves reconstructive plastic surgery.
- Partial resection of the tongue.
If the malignant cancer process has spread to nearby organs and tissues, more serious methods of treating tongue cancer in Israel are employed:
- Chemotherapy. It involves the individual selection of very strong drugs capable of destroying malignant cells that remain after surgical intervention. At the Ichilov clinic, chemotherapy is planned in cycles – after taking the drugs for several days, there is a break lasting several weeks. Then the cycle is repeated several times (the number of cycles depends on the severity of the tumor).
- Radiotherapy. It is conducted for 10-15 minutes 5 days a week for 2-5 weeks. Its goal is the same as that of chemotherapy – to prevent malignant cells from recurring.