- A red and white patch forms on the surface of the tongue.
- It is followed by a lump or ulcer on the tongue that does not disappear easily.
- A sore throat that does not respond to any treatment is also one of the prominent tongue cancer symptoms.
- Another symptom of tongue cancer is when the sufferer experiences pain while swallowing food or saliva.
- Unexplained bleeding in the absence of ulcers or accidental biting of the tongue is also a symptom of tongue cancer.
- Inflamed lymph nodes in the neck are also a prominent symptom so is numbness in the tongue.
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Common symptoms of tongue cancer you should know
Cancer is an abnormal division of cells in the tissues. Cancer can affect any part of the human body. Out of the several types of cancer, oral cancer ranks 15th of the most common cancers and disease in the world. In 2018, around 49,750 Americans were diagnosed with oral cancer. Men are twice as likely to be affected by oral cancer as compared to women. Many parts of the mouth like tongue, lip, inner cheek, and throat can be affected by cancer. Tobacco and alcohol are among the top two reasons or risk factors that result in oral cancer. Research shows that around 90% of oral cancer cases are due to tobacco and alcohol, while only 10% is due to genetic aberration.
Tongue cancer occurs mostly in the thin cells that line our tongue; these cells are known as squamous cells. Any form of tobacco consumption such as chewing, smoking pipes or cigarettes, and cigars and excessive use of alcohol can cause tongue cancer. Another significant risk factor of tongue cancer is contracting the HPV virus during sexual activities.
Most of the early symptoms of tongue cancer are painless and not very obvious. However, the following symptoms could be experienced. If you notice any of these, it would be highly imperative to get checked as early as possible.
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