Snow cancer on the tongue, 46% ulcers under 50's, suspicious if it lasts more than 3 weeks
Jul 22, 2024
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However, tongue cancer is not uncommon even in relatively young people before the age of 30. In particular, cancer of the tongue is easily mistaken for an ulcer in the oral cavity, and diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. On July 27 World Head and Neck Cancer Day', Seolam was summarized with the explanation of Han Seung-hoon, an otolaryngologist at Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital.
▶The number of patients with snow cancer has increased by 33% over the past five years...New cases of young people on the rise
The tongue is a very flexible muscular organ that senses the taste, temperature, and touch of food and allows it to swallow food together, and is one of the common areas of cancer in the mouth. The number of patients with head and neck cancer is steadily increasing, and the increase is very large among head and neck cancer. According to the annual report of the National Cancer Registration Project, the number of new head and neck cancer patients has increased 29% over the past five years from 32,147 in 2017 to 41,460 in 2021, but the number of head and neck cancer patients has increased 33% from 748 in 2017 to 993 in 2021. This is the largest increase among the organs with head and neck cancer, except for oral cancer (lip cancer) with a small number of patients.
Uniquely, the number of new patients with snow cancer is steadily increasing even in the younger age group. Among the new cancer patients in 2021, 80 people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 8%. The number of new cancer patients in their 20s and 50s was 46%, and nearly half of all patients were in their 60s.
Early symptoms of luteal cancer include an inflammatory ulcer that is circular and causes white necrosis, white vitiligo with thick white spots, and red spots. More than half of the tongue cancers develop on the side of the tongue, and may be painless in the early stages. However, when the tumor invades to the area around the tongue nerve, severe pain is caused.
▶ If the ulcer of the tongue persists or grows for more than 3 weeks, you should suspect a cancer of the tongue
These initial symptoms are similar to those of common stomatitis and are not easy to distinguish. Stomatitis can be caused by irritating food or allergic reactions when the immune system is weakened due to excessive stress or fatigue, when the immune system is damaged by physical stimulation, and when infected with bacteria.
Professor Han Seung-hoon said, "Most cases of endophagitis heal naturally within one to two weeks, but if these symptoms do not disappear for more than three weeks or the lesion becomes larger, you should suspect a cancer of the tongue." "Snow cancer has a larger range of lesions compared to stomatitis, can lead to continued bleeding or pain, and it is easy to spread to lymph nodes around the neck, so you should check for hard palpable masses under your chin or on the side of your neck.", he explained.
When diagnosed with cancer of the tongue, the degree of invasion of surrounding tissues and metastasis are evaluated through imaging tests. Treatment mainly involves surgery to completely resect the lesion, including the normal tissue around the tumor. Snow cancer spreads well to the lymph nodes around the neck, and in this case, surgery to remove the lymph nodes around the neck together depending on the thickness of the lesion is required. If more than half of the tongue needs to be resected depending on the resection range of the lesion, reconstruction using the skin and muscles of the wrist or thigh is performed. After surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be added depending on the individual's condition.
Snow cancer is a difficult cancer to treat, but if it is detected early and treated, it can preserve the function of the tongue as much as possible. However, if the treatment period is missed, the cancer will spread quickly, and the cure rate will inevitably decrease. Therefore, you should carefully examine the initial symptoms and see a specialist immediately if you have any suspicious symptoms.
Professor Han Seung-hoon said, `To prevent head and neck cancer, it is important to reduce smoking and drinking, prevent tooth decay and periodontal diseases, and thorough oral hygiene management such as oral cleaning.' `We hope that it will be an opportunity to raise awareness of head and neck cancer and to recognize the importance of early diagnosis once again on World Head and Neck Cancer Day.'
On the other hand, July 27 every year is 「World Head and Neck Cancer Day」 established by the International Cancer Prevention Association to promote understanding of head and neck cancer and emphasize the importance of prevention.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
