How serious is squamous cell carcinoma on the tongue?

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common cancer types, with a survival rate of less than 5 years in half of newly diagnosed patients. Nearly half of patients who are at the stage of diagnosis already have regional lymph node metastasis.

Can squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue be cured?

Tongue cancer is highly curable when it is detected early, but it can be life-threatening if not diagnosed and treated early. Over time, it may spread to other sites in the mouth, other areas of the head and neck, or other parts of the body.

How aggressive is squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue?

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most aggressive tumours in behaviour.

What is the best treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of tongue?

Surgical therapy is the primary treatment option for tongue cancer, while radiotherapy and chemotherapy are adjuvant therapy. Patients rarely receive radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone for tongue cancer.

Where does squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue spread to?

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma represents the most frequent and aggressive cancer of the oral cavity. It usually metastasizes via the lymphatic system at cervical level and distant metastases are uncommon. In case of metastasis outside the neck, the lung is the organ most frequently affected (1).

Oral Cancer - causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology

What is the survival rate for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue?

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common cancer types, with a survival rate of less than 5 years in half of newly diagnosed patients. Nearly half of patients who are at the stage of diagnosis already have regional lymph node metastasis.

How do I know if my squamous cell carcinoma has metastasized?

Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma is often referred to as a neck cancer because it tends to travel to the lymph nodes in the neck and around the collarbone. Because of this, signs of metastasis may include a painful or tender lump in the neck or a sore throat that doesn't improve or go away.

How common is squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue?

In the US, 3% of cancers in men and 2% in women are oral squamous cell carcinomas, most of which occur after age 50. As with most head and neck sites, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common oral cancer.

Can you live a long life with squamous cell carcinoma?

Most (95% to 98%) of squamous cell carcinomas can be cured if they are treated early. Once squamous cell carcinoma has spread beyond the skin, though, less than half of people live five years, even with aggressive treatment.

Is squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue painful?

Is tongue cancer painful? Some of the first signs of tongue cancer often include a painful lump or sore on the side of the tongue that may bleed easily and resist healing. Mouth or tongue pain is also a common symptom.

What is the life expectancy of someone with squamous cell carcinoma?

In general, the squamous cell carcinoma survival rate is very high—when detected early, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. Even if squamous cell carcinoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the cancer may be effectively treated through a combination of surgery and radiation treatment.

Is squamous cell carcinoma a big deal?

Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is usually not life-threatening, though it can be aggressive. Untreated, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin can grow large or spread to other parts of your body, causing serious complications.

Is squamous cell carcinoma ever fatal?

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is usually easily treated with surgery; however, a subsection of patients with specific disease risk factors are more likely to develop metastases and die from the disease, according to the results of a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

What does squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue look like?

A lump on the side of the tongue that touches the teeth. The lump often looks like an ulcer and is grayish-pink to red. The lump bleeds easily if bitten or touched.

How fast does squamous cell carcinoma spread?

Metastasis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is rare. However, certain tumor and patient characteristics increase the risk of metastasis. Prior studies have demonstrated metastasis rates of 3-9%, occurring, on average, one to two years after initial diagnosis [6].

Can squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue spread to the lungs?

The lung is the most frequent site of metastases from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas [1], and this is also true for oral tongue cancers (OTCs).

Do you need chemo for squamous cell carcinoma?

When squamous cell carcinoma spreads to other parts of the body, drug treatments might be recommended, including: Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells.

How long can I wait to have squamous cell carcinoma removed?

Treatment should happen as soon as possible after diagnosis, since more advanced SCCs of the skin are more difficult to treat and can become dangerous, spreading to local lymph nodes, distant tissues and organs.

What does stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma look like?

Symptoms of stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma usually begin with some kind of skin lesion or growth. Often, the tumors of squamous cell carcinoma look like a scaly red patch of skin that won't heal. These tumors are often crusty and raised, and they may cause sores or ulcers that last for several weeks.

What is the most common location for cancerous lesions on the tongue?

Several types of cancer can affect the tongue, but tongue cancer most often begins in the thin, flat squamous cells that line the surface of the tongue.

What is the most frequent malignant tumor of the tongue?

Squamous cell carcinoma is by far the most common malignancy of the tongue, typically having 3 gross morphologic growth patterns: exophytic, ulcerative, and infiltrative.

What causes squamous cell carcinoma in the mouth?

Disease at a Glance

A squamous cell carcinoma arising from the oral cavity. It affects predominantly adults in their fifth and sixth decades of life and is associated with alcohol and tobacco use. Human papillomavirus is present in approximately half of the cases.

Which is the considered highest risk site in squamous cell carcinoma?

The sun-exposed head and neck are the most frequent sites for these cancers to arise and in most patients diagnosed with a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, local treatment is usually curative. However, a subset is diagnosed with a high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Should you see an oncologist for squamous cell carcinoma?

Most basal and squamous cell cancers (as well as pre-cancers) are treated by dermatologists – doctors who specialize in treating skin diseases. If the cancer is more advanced, you may be treated by another type of doctor, such as: A surgical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with surgery.

What does stage 1 squamous cell carcinoma look like?

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Early Stages

At first, cancer cells appear as flat patches in the skin, often with a rough, scaly, reddish, or brown surface. These abnormal cells slowly grow in sun-exposed areas.