What are the routine examination items for tongue cancer

What are the routine examination items for tongue cancer? No matter what disease you have, you must undergo professional examinations before treatment. Another important function of the examination is that it allows doctors to understand the patient's specific situation more accurately, which is very helpful for treatment. So what are the routine examination items for tongue cancer?

Tongue cancer has a short course and develops quickly. In the early stage, a small hard lump can be seen on the tongue, shaped like a bean, which gradually becomes noticeable swelling, and a small ulcer with a slightly raised edge appears in the center of the lump. It is hard and painless at first, or it grows like a fungus, with a large head and a small stem. It may cause pain and erosion, which is more severe in the morning and evening. The lesion gradually spreads to the deep and surrounding tissues, and when combined with infection, it will cause

Tongue cancer has a short course and develops quickly. In the early stage, a small hard lump can be seen on the tongue, shaped like a bean, which gradually forms obvious swelling, and a small ulcer with a slightly raised edge appears in the center of the lump. It is hard and painless at first, or grows like a fungus, with a large head and a small stalk. Pain and erosion may occur, and the symptoms are more severe in the morning and evening. The lesions gradually spread to the deep and surrounding tissues. When combined with infection, more severe pain occurs, which can radiate to the face and ears on the same side. This disease is highly invasive. The tumor can widely affect the tongue muscles, restricting the movement of the tongue, affecting speaking, eating and swallowing, and causing a lot of drooling, which is foul. When the floor of the mouth is invaded or the midline is exceeded to involve the entire tongue, the tongue is in a completely fixed state, resulting in difficulty in swallowing. The cancer ulcer may bleed, and may invade the gums, and even cause enlarged and hard ulcers in the neck and jaw. Invasion of the jaw floor and jawbone can penetrate the tongue and cheeks, and soup can flow out. In the late stage, tissue necrosis, bleeding, nutritional disorders and aspiration pneumonia are often complicated. About 23% of patients with this disease have cervical lymphadenopathy. The most common site of metastatic lymph nodes is under the digastric muscle, followed by the submandibular region. As the disease progresses, the number of metastatic lymph nodes increases and may spread to the ipsilateral supraclavicular region and the contralateral neck. Hematogenous metastasis may occur in the late stage.

Clinical examinations and other tests

1. Pathological examination

For tongue nodules, erosions or ulcers, especially those on the lateral edge of the tongue, if there is no improvement or continues to grow after 2 to 3 weeks of treatment, this disease should be considered and a biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis. The sample should be taken from the edge of the tumor and include some normal tissue. If the sample is shallow, cancerous tissue is often not found.

2. Cervical Lymph Node Biopsy

This disease often metastasizes to the cervical lymph nodes, especially under the digastric muscle and submandibular. The neck should be carefully examined and a cervical lymph node biopsy should be performed when necessary, which is of certain significance in the diagnosis and staging of the disease.