There are many causes of tongue ulcers, the most famous of which are aphthous ulcers and infections as a result of lack of attention to dental hygiene and stress, and the least common of these is malignanat ulcers.
The rate of tongue cancer has increased in the recent period due to several reasons, including the spread of human papilloma virus. , There are different types of tongue cancer, the most important and most common of them is the squamous type.
Cancer can arise in more than one place inside the tongue, such as the oral part or the base of the tongue
Factors that increase the chances of developing tongue cancer:
- Smoking.
- HPV infection.
- Chewing qat (a plant found in Yemen).
- Alcohol.
- Poor oral and dental hygiene.
- Weake immune system.
To confirm the diagnosis:
- Clinical examination of the neck
- Neck us.
- CT.
- MRI.
- Biopsy.
Tongue cancer patients need a combination of treatments throughout the treatment plan.
The role of surgery in treating tongue cancer is pivotal and essential, and the surgeon must preserve as much of the tongue as possible so as not to affect the movement of the tongue and thus the ability to speak and swallow in a good way.
The patient may need a reconstruction after resection so as to preserve the function of the tongue.
Excision of the lymph nodes in the neck is an integral part of the surgery so that the treatment team can use complementary drug and radiotherapy if necessary.
The role of periodic follow-up comes with clinical examination and imaging every3 to 6 months for the first two years and then every 6 to 12 months thereafter and follow-up to the rest of the family based on international scientific guidelines to complete the treatment plan.