tongue cancer
Meaning of tongue cancer: Tongue cancer arises from tissue of the tongue and is classified as an oral cavity or throat cancer depending on the part affected.
Definition of tongue cancer
Tongue cancer is a cancer that develops in the tissue of the tongue, most commonly a type called squamous cell carcinoma, which arises from the flat cells lining its surface. Its classification and typical presentation differ depending on which part of the tongue is involved.
Cancer arising in the front two thirds of the tongue, the mobile portion that can be seen and moved voluntarily, is considered a type of oral cavity cancer. Cancer arising in the back third of the tongue, closer to the throat, is instead classified as an oropharyngeal, or throat, cancer, since this portion is not part of the oral cavity.
This distinction matters because oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers are evaluated and staged somewhat differently and can have different typical risk factors, even though both may broadly be described as tongue cancer depending on where in the tongue the disease originates.
Used in a sentence
Biopsy of the lesion on the side of the tongue confirmed a diagnosis of tongue cancer.
Good to know
Cancer of the front two thirds of the tongue is classified as oral cavity cancer, while cancer of the back third is classified as oropharyngeal cancer, a distinction based on location that affects how the disease is staged.
Word origin
Where “tongue cancer” comes from
Cancer is formed from Latin cancer, meaning crab, an ancient name for the disease inspired by the crablike pattern of swollen veins sometimes seen radiating from a tumor.