MedifocusHealth

Many oral cancers are painless initially, therefore making early diagnosis more difficult.

Signs and symptoms of tongue cancer may include:

• Ulcer or sore on tongue (usually painless) that will not go away - most cases of tongue cancer occur on the lateral borders and ventral (anterior) surface of the tongue, although in some cases it can also occur on the posterior segment.

• Leukoplakia (white patches) or erythroplakia (red patches) in the mouth or on the tongue that do not go away.

• Sore throat that persists for a long period of time

• Pain or difficulty swallowing

• Difficulty with speech

• Unusual bleeding, pain, or numbness in the mouth

• Swelling of the jaw that may cause dentures to fit improperly or feel uncomfortable

• Enlarged cervical (neck) lymph nodes

• Persistent ear pain (rare)

Although signs and symptoms can be helpful to a doctor or dentist in raising suspicion of the possibility of tongue cancer, a definitive diagnosis can only be made by obtaining a biopsy of the suspicious lesion and examining the specimen under a microscope for the presence of malignant (cancerous) cells. Radiological imaging studies such as computed tomography (CT) are also used as an aid in diagnosis and staging the disease to determine if the oral cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other organs.