Tongue cancer, or oral cancer, can hurt your ability to eat, swallow, and talk. It could also hurt other parts of your throat and face. You need to find tongue cancer treatment that is thorough and accurate, with the least damage possible.
At UVA Health, you'll find personalized care as well as expert techniques and tools. We do everything possible to preserve what's most important to you.
Why Tongue Cancer Treatment at UVA Health
At UVA Health, you don't have to wonder if you're getting the right care. That's because:
- We have everything we need at our fingertips to diagnose and treat head and neck cancers.
- Our staff includes specialists in every major form of head and neck cancer.
- Our facial plastic surgery team will aim to restore your normal sense of self.
Here, you'll find the full range of treatments for every aspect of tongue cancer, including:
- Surgery
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
Robotic Surgery for Tongue Cancer
Our team is skilled in robotic surgery, which helps us remove tumors from difficult-to-reach places.
Avoiding major surgery generally means less pain, a faster recovery, and a better outcome. We're also highly experienced in complex head and neck reconstruction. This may come into play if cancer treatment has damaged your skin, bones, or other parts of your face.
Care After Surgery
Following surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, you may need rehabilitation. We offer therapy to improve tongue movement, chewing, and swallowing. If the use of your tongue has been impaired, you may also benefit from speech therapy.
We'll also watch you closely to make sure the cancer doesn't come back. This will include close monitoring of your mouth, throat, esophagus, and lungs with our high-tech diagnostic tools.