How dangerous is ear cancer?

This is an automatically translated article.


Considered an extremely rare cancer, the successful treatment of ear cancer is also different for each patient, because it will depend on the location, time of development and metastasis of the tumor. Therefore, to increase the success rate of treatment, patients need to detect early signs of abnormalities in the ear.

1. What is ear cancer?


Ear cancer is a type of malignancy, this type of cancer is very rare in head and neck cancer. Ear cancer can develop from any structure and location in the ear. According to statistics, most cancers of the outer ear are carcinoma and usually appear in middle age.
Accordingly, this type of cancer starts out as skin cancer, but it can affect both the inner and outer parts of the ear, and then spreads throughout the structures of the ear, including the ear canal and membrane. atrial cancer then metastasize to the bone and cause many serious consequences for the patient, so ear cancer is dangerous. In addition, some types of cancer can metastasize to the ear as follows:
Adenocarcinoma: This is a very rare cancer and it will affect the parotid and salivary glands. These malignancies account for 5% of cancers in the external auditory tube; Parotid gland cancer: In some cases, ear cancer can originate in this part of the ear. The growth of a malignant tumor in the parotid gland will spread to the ear canal. Besides, a number of risk factors will increase the incidence of malignant tumors in the ear such as: Direct exposure to the sun with little or no use of sunscreen; People with frequent ear infections will affect the change of surrounding cells leading to cancer or the elderly and white people will increase the rate of ear cancer.

Ung thư tai là một loại u ác tính, loại ung thư này rất hiếm gặp trong ung thư đầu mặt cổ
Ung thư tai là một loại u ác tính, loại ung thư này rất hiếm gặp trong ung thư đầu mặt cổ

2. Signs and symptoms of ear cancer


About the signs to recognize ear cancer will depend on which area the tumor develops in, from which the patient will experience many different symptoms. Symptoms that are common in each area where ear cancer develops include:
Cancer of the outer ear: The outer ear includes the earlobe, the rim, and the entrance to the ear canal. Signs of cancer in the outer ear such as after moisturizing, the patient still sees scaly patches of skin on the ear and sees an ivory white tumor under the skin. At the same time, the skin will ulcerate and bleed. These are signs of cancer of the outer ear that patients should pay attention to to see a doctor promptly; Cancer of the ear canal: When there is cancer in the ear canal, you will find a tumor in or near the entrance to the ear canal. In addition, the patient also has hearing loss and sees fluid draining from the ear. Therefore, if these symptoms appear, it is possible that the patient has ear cancer, an examination to diagnose is necessary; Middle ear cancer: In case of cancer in the middle ear, the patient will see a discharge from the ear, this fluid is usually blood. In addition, the patient also has hearing loss, pain in the ear and numbness in the head. Inner ear cancer: Some common signs to recognize inner ear cancer include pain and tinnitus, hearing loss, dizziness with tinnitus. In addition, the patient also experienced headache symptoms. Those are common signs of ear cancer, so if you experience the above symptoms, the patient should quickly go to a medical facility for examination, diagnosis and a timely and limited treatment plan. dangerous complications.

Dấu hiệu nhận biết ung thư tai sẽ tùy thuộc vào việc khối u phát triển ở khu vực nào
Dấu hiệu nhận biết ung thư tai sẽ tùy thuộc vào việc khối u phát triển ở khu vực nào

3. Is ear cancer curable?


After suspecting and detecting a tumor inside or outside the ear, the doctor will conduct a biopsy of that tumor by taking a tissue sample for testing to get the most accurate results. However, in cases where the tumor develops in the inner ear, it is difficult to reach and may affect the tissues near that area. Therefore, doctors will order an MRI or CT scan to make a diagnosis.
Accordingly, the treatment of ear cancer will be based on the size and location of the tumor to give the most appropriate and effective treatment for the patient. Treatment methods for ear cancer include:
Cancer in the outer ear: In the case of patients with cancer of the outer ear, the main treatment is excision. However, if the area to be removed is too large, affecting the aesthetics, the patient may have to have skin graft surgery; Cancer in the ear canal or temporal bone: If you have this type of ear cancer, surgery and radiation therapy after surgery are key. In this case, the patient may lose part or all of the ear canal because depending on the size of the tumor as well as its spread; In some cases, the ear canal, bone and eardrum need to be removed, but this can be completely overcome by performing ear transplant surgery. If your hearing is affected, you will need a hearing aid. Considered an extremely rare type of cancer, successful treatment varies from person to person. Because it will depend on the location, time of growth and metastasis of the tumor, so to increase the success rate of ear cancer treatment, patients need to detect abnormal signs early.
Besides, the prevention of ear cancer is very difficult, but to limit the risk of causing ear cancer, it is advisable to keep good ear hygiene. In case of ear infection, the patient should see an otolaryngologist to get an accurate diagnosis as well as timely treatment and periodically check every 6 months if there is any doubt.

Bác sĩ sẽ chỉ định chụp MRI hoặc CT để chẩn đoán
Bác sĩ sẽ chỉ định chụp MRI hoặc CT để chẩn đoán

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