Symptoms of early-stage tongue cancer are generally difficult to detect, because they do not have typical symptoms or even do not show symptoms. Therefore, it is important to know the symptoms of early-stage tongue cancer, because the earlier tongue cancer is detected, the higher the chances of a cure.
Tongue cancer is a type of cancer that appears on the tongue and can spread to the oral cavity, throat, to other organs of the body. Because the symptoms are difficult to detect, many sufferers do not realize that they have tongue cancer.
In fact, not a few people with early-stage tongue cancer find out that they have the disease when they undergo regular dental and oral examinations at the dentist.
Various Symptoms of Early Stage Tongue Cancer
In accordance with the explanation above, early-stage tongue cancer generally does not cause typical symptoms, especially if the cancer begins at the base of the tongue.
However, early-stage tongue cancer can sometimes make sufferers experience several symptoms such as a tongue that bleeds easily and pain that doesn't go away at the bottom of the tongue.
Early-stage tongue cancer is also usually characterized by the appearance of a small lump (no more than 2 cm) on the tongue. The lump can be painful, but it can also be painless.
In addition, you can also be aware of early-stage tongue cancer if you experience the following symptoms:
- Canker sores that don't go away
- Pain and difficulty swallowing
- Numbness in the tongue and mouth
- Spontaneous bleeding of the tongue and mouth
- Pain in or near the tongue
- Voice changes, like sounding hoarse
If you feel the symptoms above, you should immediately consult a doctor so that examination and treatment can be carried out immediately. Thus, the cancer does not progress to a later stage.
Causes and Risk Factors for Tongue Cancer
Most tongue cancer is experienced by adult men, but can also be experienced by people over the age of 55 years. Until now, there is no known exact cause why someone can develop tongue cancer.
However, there are several factors that are known to increase a person's risk of developing tongue cancer, namely:
- Infection human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Smoking habits and consumption of alcoholic beverages
- Poor oral hygiene and health
- Unhealthy diet
- Betel chewing habit
- Family history of tongue or oral cancer
- History of certain cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma
After recognizing the symptoms of tongue cancer and the factors that cause it, you should start to stay away from some of the risk factors for tongue cancer above and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
For example, by stopping smoking and drinking alcohol, maintaining oral hygiene by brushing your teeth regularly, and regularly visiting the dentist at least every 6 months.
This is important so that the doctor can detect whether you have tongue cancer early on. The earlier this condition is treated, the better the chances of recovery.