Tongue root cancer is a rare disease that affects no more than 2% of all cancer patients. According to statistics, men 50-55 years old are most susceptible to this pathology. The tumor develops rapidly, resulting in serious complications in the body. The terrible thing is that the pronounced symptoms of root cancer of the tongue (ICD C00-C14) appear only in the late stages, when the disease is extremely dangerous for human life. However, today in the world clinical practice there are a number of effective methods of treating this rare pathology.
Classification
The ailment has a certain classification series. So, cancer can occur in the following locations:
- at the root of the tongue;
- sideways;
- at the bottom of the oral cavity;
- in the sublingual part.
The most dangerous is the development of an oncological tumor in the root of the tongue, since this area is extremely difficult to operate. Damage to the body of the tongue is observed in approximately 70% of patients, and this type of disease affects the middle and lateral parts.
Root cancer of the tongue affects approximately 20% of all patients with similar oncology. The development of a tumor in the posterior half of the oral cavity always proceeds aggressively.
How the cancer of the root of the tongue manifests depends on the type of ailment. Photos of patients may be shocking.
Kinds
According to the histological composition, two types of pathology are distinguished: adenocarcinoma and squamous cell cancer, which affects 95% of these patients.
There are also three varieties of tongue root cancer:
- The ulcer type begins its formation in the form of compaction on the root of the organ, which gradually degenerates into an ulcer. Very often, bleeding and severe pain syndrome are observed.
- An infiltrative species is an oncological formation dense to the touch, on the surface of which white spots develop. Accompanying symptom is also severe pain.
- Papillary view - a malignant neoplasm at the root of the tongue is quite hard with plaque dense to the touch. Such a tumor progresses slowly.
These malignant processes in most cases quickly metastasize by hematogenous and lymphogenous methods.
Stages of the disease
This pathological process has three main stages: initial, secondary and advanced. Cancer of the root of the tongue is quite difficult to diagnose, especially in the early stages of its development. The reason for this is that many patients simply do not feel severe pain in the oral cavity, which is why they do not sound the alarm.
At the initial stage, no symptoms are noted. The disease proceeds with an almost imperceptible compaction in the tongue of a small size. Diagnostic results of this stage are similar to purulent tonsillitis, stomatitis and other infectious diseases.
Patients with a second stage of tongue root cancer notice the following signs of a pathological process: burning in the palatine tonsils and back of the tongue, severe itching, open and bleeding ulcers. All this is accompanied by an increase in a pathological neoplasm up to 1 cm, which gradually grows in the bones and muscles of the face.
With an advanced degree of cancer of the root of the tongue, it is accompanied by a significant increase in the malignant tumor in sizes up to 2 centimeters, which can be seen with the naked eye. The following symptoms are noted in patients: severe pain, which is given to the temple and frontal sinuses, disruption of the digestive system, loss of sensitivity of the tongue and the development of its immobility. Subsequently, the malignant neoplasm breaks up, as a result of which there is a process of excessive secretion of saliva and the appearance of fetid odor in the mouth.
Stage 4
In some cases, specialists diagnose another, fourth stage of root cancer of the tongue, in which there is a greatly enlarged tumor - up to 4 centimeters. An oncological neoplasm can affect not only the root, but also the entire surface of the tongue, including its lateral sides. At this stage, metastases affecting the lymph nodes, bone tissue and brain are almost always diagnosed. Among the most pronounced signs of the last stage of cancer are the following: bleeding ulcers over the entire surface of the tongue, severe pain, loss of appetite, a state of chronic fatigue, and an inflammatory process in the area of internal organs.
At stage 4 of root cancers, patients most often do not survive. Nevertheless, the prognosis is purely individual and depends on how timely the treatment was provided and how high quality it was. People often look for signs of root cancer in the photo online.
Development reasons
Among the various causes that can trigger the onset of root cancer of the tongue, oncologists identify adverse external factors. These include:
- Smoking and drinking for many years. If a person regularly abuses such bad habits, then the risk of a malignant tumor increases significantly. It should be noted that alcohol significantly enhances the negative effects of the tobacco mixture.
- Chronic trauma to the tongue. A similar phenomenon occurs as a result of the installation of low-quality prostheses, as well as if the mucous membrane is constantly injured by a broken tooth or during regular biting.
- Permanent contact with petroleum products and heavy metal salts.
- Eating very hot dishes that burn the mucous membrane of the tongue, as well as the abuse of various hot spices.
- Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity of a chronic nature (stomatitis, gingivitis).
When several factors affect the human body at the same time, the risk of developing root cancer of the tongue increases.
Precancerous diseases
A number of precancerous diseases that increase the likelihood of such a malignant neoplasm should also be indicated:
- Bowen's disease is the appearance of a small spot in the tongue. Its surface is quite smooth, erosion gradually appears in this place.
- Leukoplakia, expressed by the site of a long inflammatory process, which visually resembles a whitish wart.
The likelihood of developing such a pathological process with different localization of the lesion increases with age. Usually, this type of cancer affects men after 50 years.
Symptomatology
Squamous cell carcinoma of the root of the tongue has the following symptoms:
- Discomfort at the site of neoplasm development is expressed by numbness, burning, tingling. If the malignant tumor increases, then the patient feels severe cutting pains that can radiate to the ear, temple and lower jaw.
- A very unpleasant odor appears in the mouth, especially at the stage when the malignant neoplasm has acquired an ulcerative form.
- Violation of the processes of swallowing.
- Spoken language is changing.
- Lymph nodes increase in size, mainly those located behind the ears and under the jaw.
- The tongue bleeds, its mobility is impaired.
Often, with an initial degree of root cancer, the symptoms are manifested by mild pains that do not have a clear localization. Therefore, the patient can take these symptoms for manifestations of normal caries, stomatitis, or sore throat.
Diagnostics
The almost asymptomatic course of this pathological process in the initial stages makes its timely diagnosis very difficult. Changes in the mucous membrane found during a routine examination or during caries therapy are often perceived as a result of undetected injury, and as a rule, they do not cause suspicion regarding cancer. For this reason, most cases of the development of oncology of the root of the tongue are diagnosed only at the developed or advanced stages.
In the process of diagnosis, examination and palpation of a malignant formation is performed. If cancer is suspected, the dentist directs the patient for a consultation with an oncologist. The final diagnosis is established according to cytological studies, for example, after studying a smear imprint from the surface of an oncological ulcer and examining a sample of a tumor that was obtained by biopsy. Ultrasound is performed to study the depth and prevalence of the cancer process. If a tumor is suspected of sprouting into bone structures, radiography, CT of the front part of the skull and orthopantomography are used.
Metastasis processes
The processes of metastasis of the root cancer of the tongue are diagnosed by the results of the examination of the lymph nodes through their biopsy. Determination of distant metastases is carried out using lung radiography, CT and MRI of the brain, skeleton scintigraphy, ultrasound of the liver. With tongue root cancer, differential diagnosis is carried out with a tuberculous ulcer, benign tumors, leukoplakia, a solid chancre of primary syphilis, etc.
Tongue root cancer treatment
A specific method of cancer therapy is chosen by the doctor, who is guided by the location and type of cancer, as well as what stage the pathological process is at. Timely medical intervention that will facilitate a quick recovery is extremely important.
The main therapeutic technique for root cancer is a surgical operation, thanks to which you can completely remove the cancer tumor without waiting for the spread of metastases throughout the body. It lies in the fact that the affected part of the tongue is removed. After a successful surgical procedure, the patient returns the ability to speak. The stage of cancer has a direct effect on the size of the removed part of the organ.
Radiation therapy for cancer of the root of the tongue (ICD 10 C00-C14) worldwide recognized as the most effective therapeutic technique. In this case, a malignant neoplasm is irradiated in several sessions, after which specialists evaluate the result. If the tumor has only decreased in size, then a repeated procedure is usually performed. With oncological damage to the root of the tongue of the initial degree, only a part of the organ (affected) is irradiated.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used everywhere, regardless of the form of the oncological process. Substances that can reduce the growth of the tumor and destroy its tissues are introduced into the patient's body. This method of treatment is usually used in cases where there is a need to destroy metastases and residues of the malignant tumor.
Prevention
The process of treating root cancers is quite complicated. To avoid the development of this terrible disease, it is necessary to take simple measures to prevent it:
- adherence to oral hygiene - regular cleaning of teeth from plaque;
- quitting smoking and drinking alcohol;
- the exception of prolonged exposure to the sun;
- regular visits to the dental office.
According to scientific studies, garlic, tomatoes, grapes, cabbage and lettuce reduce the likelihood of cancer. But fried foods must be excluded from the diet, preferring steamed food.
Prognosis for Root Cancer
No medical specialist can say with accuracy how many patients with a similar diagnosis live. In oncology, it is customary to evaluate the result of therapy, given the survival of patients with a certain stage of the pathology for 5-10 years. What does it mean? The five-year survival of patients with an illness of 1-2 stages is approximately 70%, and that of the 3 operable stages is about 50%.
It is even more difficult to predict how much live with stage 4 root cancer. Average values range from 15 to 30%. The oncological process in each patient proceeds differently, and the prognosis in this case largely depends on the level of damage to vital organs by metastases, on the possibility of radiation exposure, on the dynamics of changes in the foci of the tumor during treatment. If special therapy is not possible, the average life expectancy is significantly reduced and amounts to 8-12 months with stage 4 cancer.