Heard of Tongue Cancer Before?

Tongue health is rarely spoken about. Have you ever heard of tongue cancer or oropharyngeal cancer? I was surprised to know it today, do you? It did happen though not many cases. Tongue cancer is a kind of oral cancer.

Anyone can get tongue cancer, though people who use tobacco products and are older than 45 years old are at a higher risk.

What can cause tongue cancer?
The risk below can cause tongue cancer but not all people with the risk can develope tongue cancer.

• Age over 40 years
• Alcohol abuse
• Diet low in fruits and vegetables
• Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection
• Male gender
• Personal history of oral cancer
• Smoking or use of other tobacco products

Symptoms of tongue cancer

• A red or white patches on the tongue, which will not disappear;
• Sore throat that does not go away
  
• Place a pain in the tongue that does not go away
  
• Pain when swallowing
• Numbness in the mouth that will not go away
  
• Unexplained bleeding from the tongue (which is not caused by biting the tongue or other injury)
• Pain in the ear (rarely happen)

These symptoms may be caused by other less serious sickness. But it is important to check the symptoms with your doctor just to be sure.

Treating tongue cancer

Diagnose cancer earlier means it will be easier to control and possibly cure. Treatment can be done by:

• surgery
• radiotherapy
• chemotherapy

You may have one or a combination of treatments

To reduce the risk of tongue cancer
As like other type of cancer,

• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits
• Retiring from the use of tobacco products, including cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
• Reduce your alcohol intake
• Do a regular exercise

Prevention is better than a treatment for the sake of your health.

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