Tongue Cancer Recurrence
Tongue cancer recurrence may occur at the same site where it had developed earlier or it may be discovered in an area nearby to the previous site. Diagnosis of tongue cancer is always threatening, but if the cancer is caught early, the survival rate of the patient is high and the sufferer can survive for long. Unfortunately, in some cases the cancer may come back after certain duration, as a result of which the patient has to restart the treatment for controlling the cancer recurrence.
Evidences have found that the fare to treat the recurred tongue cancer depends on the time (when the cancer has recurred) and location of the cancer development. Generally tongue cancer starts to metastasize in the surrounding lymph nodes first, and then it travels to the nearby areas such as the cheeks, neck, ear etc. If left undiagnosed it may even spread to the bones and brains. The spread of the cancer decides the treatment as well as the life expectancy of the patient. Early stage cancer diagnosis provides encouraging tongue cancer prognosis.
Salvage Surgery to Treat Tongue Cancer Recurrence
One research was carried out in Australia which included around 77 people who had oral squamous cell carcinoma (cancer that develops in the flat, thin cells in the lining of the oral cavity and lips). All these patients were treated with radiation therapy, surgery or a combination of both. However, the cancer was seen to recur among all of them and they all subsequently followed a treatment which is called as salvage surgery (a procedure to remove the cancer cells after the failure of the initial treatment).
The researchers discovered that in case of the recurrence at the same location as the initial cancer, patients tend to do worse if the cancer cells recurred within six months, whereas in case of the patients whose cancer recurred at different sites the condition may become more inferior if the cancer returns after six months or more than that.
Survival Rate and Tongue Cancer Recurrence
The general five year survival rate after performing a salvage surgery was around 50 percent. Patients, who have undergone the combination of both surgery and radiation previously, were having about 1.3 times risk of mortality. As per studies, the midpoint or average in time for recurrence was around 7.5 months post treatment and about 86 percent of recurrence took place within 2 years (24 months). Evidences revealed that among 39 people, recurrence occurred at the same site as the initial one, in 27 people recurrence took place on the same side of the neck at which the initial tumor was developed, while among 11 people this tumor was developed at the opposite side of the neck.
Apparently, the poor outcome imitates resistant tumor biology; more advanced cancer stage during initial diagnosis and restricted salvage options. This tonsil cancer research suggests that in case of the patients where maximal combination therapy has failed, possibility of successful salvage is considerably low. Such patients need a special counseling as per their medical history of treatment and cancer conditions.
Key tips to Prevent Tongue Cancer Recurrence
There isn't a certain way to prevent the recurrence of tongue cancer, but yes you can reduce its risk factors.
Although, there are no surefire techniques to prevent tongue cancer recurrence, still adopting some remedies and restricting certain habits can be helpful to reduce the risk.