On August 5, Viet Duc Hospital reported on a case of a male patient who was diagnosed with late-stage tongue cancer and had to have his entire tongue and floor of his mouth removed.
Last July, a 60-year-old male patient (Dao ethnic group) was transferred to Viet Duc Friendship Hospital in a state of malnutrition. The patient had a large, hard tumor in the tongue area that had invaded the entire base of the tongue, the floor of the mouth and the pharynx.
The patient said that he had previously had symptoms of prolonged pain and ulcers in the tongue area but subjectively did not go to the doctor, only going to the hospital when he had not been able to eat or drink for 4-5 months and his body was severely malnourished.
From a small tongue ulcer, the man had to have his entire tongue and the floor of his mouth removed due to cancer (Photo: Doctor provided).
Viet Duc Friendship Hospital and the Central ENT Hospital consulted on this case. The patient had a large, hard tumor in the tongue area, with almost no healthy part of the tongue left, causing difficulties in examination, eating and even anesthesia during surgery.
"The X-ray results showed that the tumor had spread throughout the entire oral cavity, requiring the removal of the entire tongue, floor of the mouth, and neck lymph nodes to remove the cancerous lesions," shared Dr. Bui Mai Anh, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.
According to Dr. Mai Anh, this is a rare and serious case. Removing the entire tumor will create a large defect and lose important functional structures of the oral cavity: the entire tongue, the base of the tongue, the side walls of the throat, the entire floor of the mouth...
During surgery, doctors not only remove the tumor, but also try to restore the patient's ability to eat, speak, and swallow as much as possible.
Therefore, the doctors decided to reconstruct the entire tongue, floor of the mouth, and pharyngeal wall using a free flap taken from the thigh area: including skin-muscle islands with motor nerve grafts for the tongue and skin and fat for the pharyngeal wall to partially restore function for the patient.
After a surgery lasting more than 10 hours, doctors successfully transplanted small blood vessels and nerves under microsurgical microscope.
"If the recovery process goes well, after a while, the tongue muscles will be able to move, helping the patient eat, swallow, and pronounce some simple words," Dr. Mai Anh shared.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, Head of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital said that oral cancer ranks third among head and neck cancers.
However, this disease is easily overlooked in the early stages due to unclear symptoms. In particular, the tongue and floor of the mouth are the intersection of the food and respiratory tracts, with a narrow anatomical structure, making it difficult to reshape when severely damaged.
"If you experience persistent ulcers, mouth pain, difficulty chewing, difficulty swallowing, changes in voice or tongue sensation, you should see an ENT or maxillofacial specialist soon.
Absolutely do not be subjective, only go to the doctor when it greatly affects your ability to eat, by then the damage is too late, treatment is much more difficult and expensive", Associate Professor Ha advised.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/nguoi-dan-ong-phai-cat-bo-luoi-chi-tu-dau-hieu-quen-thuoc-nay-20250805093730252.htm
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