How common is tongue cancer?

I was diagnosed with early-stage tongue cancer last year and have recently finished my recovery. It is a less common type of cancer, but it is highly treatable if you catch it early. If you have a white patch or an ulcer on your tongue that won't go away for weeks, please get a biopsy done.

I had a painful bump on the side of my tongue last month and completely panicked thinking it was cancer. It turned out to be just an accidental bite and a normal canker sore. Tongue cancer is actually quite rare, so don't let your anxiety take over like I did!

As a diabetic, I am very careful about mouth sores because we heal slowly. Tongue cancer is relatively uncommon but more prevalent in those who chew betel nut or tobacco. Keeping blood sugar controlled and checking your mouth regularly for any unusual spots is a good practice.

Unless you have been chewing gutkha like those movie warnings suggest, tongue cancer is pretty rare! Most of the time, that annoying painful spot is just from eating too much spicy food or biting your tongue while talking. Just see a doctor if it doesn't leave in two weeks.

Staying up late reading about oral cancers is definitely not helping my sleep. But from what I can tell, it is quite uncommon unless there is heavy tobacco use involved. I'm off to get some sleep and stop diagnosing myself online!

While tongue cancer isn't very common, dealing with any health scare can be incredibly exhausting. It is always best to be cautious with any mouth sores that persist. Please consult a qualified dentist or ENT specialist to get an accurate diagnosis.