In this video, Dr. Amit Chakraborty, Head and Neck Cancer Specialist, discusses the causes, symptoms, and treatment of tongue cancer. Many patients complain of ulcers on the tongue, which could be a sign of oral cancer. Watch this video to learn more about mouth cancer and its symptoms, so that cancer treatment can be started on time.
In this video, Dr. Amit Chakraborty (Consultant Surgical Oncologist and head and neck cancer specialist at Amit Cancer Care) will explain to us about Tongue Cancer Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.
Many times in OPD we find patients coming up with the complaints regarding tongue ulcers and they always have this doubt in their mind whether this is a symptom of cancer? But it is important for the patient to understand that every ulcer in the mouth cannot be a sign of tongue cancer. If a wound on the tongue does not heal for more than three weeks then it is a sign of a tongue ulcer.
The second type of patients who tend to come for consultation are patients with a red or white patch on their tongue. This condition is also called as a premalignant stage. This completely treatable condition and it’s treated with the help of a laser where this red or white patch is removed and sent for testing. 1/100 patients are detected with invasive cancer, Leukoplakia which is an early cancer stage and its completely curable.
If the cancer is deep-seated then the doctors need to perform wide excision so that cancer won’t reoccur. Therefore it’s necessary in case patients observe white or red patches which are persisting for more than 2-3 weeks, the best possible way to ensure that the wound is not an ulcer is to visit an oncologist.
Sometimes wrong teeth alignment causes wounds on the tongue which later might cause cancer. Therefore it’s important to visit your dentist and the dentist will perform dental filing in order to reduce the sharpness of teeth.
HPV is another major cause for tongue cancer. HPV induced virus can be prevented with the help of vaccines.
Tongue Cancer Symptoms In the early stages of tongue cancer, especially with cancer at the base of the tongue, you might not notice any symptoms. The most common early symptom of tongue cancer is a sore on your tongue that doesn’t heal and that bleeds easily. You might also notice mouth or tongue pain.
Other symptoms of tongue cancer include:
- Pain in Ears
- Problem while eating hot food
-a red or white patch on your tongue that persists -a tongue ulcer that persists -pain when swallowing -a sore throat that persists
How Is Tongue Cancer Treated
Treatment for tongue cancer depends on how big the tumor is and how far the cancer has spread. You might only need one treatment or you might need a combination of treatments.Early mouth cancer that hasn’t spread can usually be treated with a small operation to remove the affected area. Larger tumors usually need to be removed with a surgery called a partial glossectomy, in which part of the tongue is removed.
Apr 03, 2026 
