Diagnosis | Tongue cancer

Diagnosis

The doctor starts the diagnosis with an anamnesis interview, during which the symptoms of the complaint are to be explained. This is followed by a thorough physical examination. The front two thirds of the tongue can be seen with the naked eye.

The back third of the tongue can be seen with a mirror examination. If tongue cancer is diagnosed, the inspection reveals ulcerations on the edge of the tongue, on its back or at the base of the tongue. During palpation, the palpation of the tongue, the area surrounding the ulcerations is very hard due to infiltrations.

Typically, cancer of the tongue, or suspected cancer of the tongue, is discovered by the dentist, who at best sees the patient twice a year for inspection and has deviations clarified. The patient also expresses severe pain. To confirm the diagnosis, a biopsy, a small sample, is taken from the suspicious structures, which is used for fine tissue examination.

One serves to further confirm the diagnosis of tongue cancer. This examination is followed by the staging of the tongue tumor, i.e. a division into stages for tongue cancer.

  • Ultrasound examination of the tongue and cervical lymph nodes
  • Computer tomography or
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Tongue cancer is one of the diseases of the mouth and throat and is therefore a disease that can be assigned to both oral and maxillofacial surgeons and the field of ear, nose and throat medicine.

Since surgery and, if necessary, radiation or chemotherapy are usually performed, the treating physicians for this disease are usually hospitalized physicians from various specialties. Radiation therapy is carried out in cooperation with radiologists from the radiology department. The follow-up examinations can also be carried out or coordinated by an ENT specialist in private practice or the family dentist. As a rule, the family doctor is also significantly involved in the holistic treatment of a person suffering from tongue cancer. In a stage of the disease with no prospect of recovery, treatment by a palliative physician may be useful, as he or she aims to achieve the best possible alleviation or control of symptoms through medical measures.