Tongue and Oral Cavity Cancers

The oral cavity is the area that begins at the inner surface of the lips and includes the front part of the tongue that lies within the mouth, the floor of the mouth, the gums, the inner cheeks and the hard palate. Cancers arising from the thin lining tissue (mucosa) of this area form a distinct group among head and neck cancers. Because the inside of the mouth can be seen with the eye and examined by hand, changes here can often be noticed at an early stage; a sore that does not heal, a white or red patch, a firm area or a thickening may be the first signs.^1,2

The pages in this section cover tongue cancer, oral cavity cancers in general, cancer of the floor of the mouth, and cancers of the gum and inner cheek, each on its own page. Every page explains in plain language what the disease is, which symptoms it presents with, how the diagnosis is made and how treatment is planned. The page on diagnosing and treating oral cancers summarises the approach as a whole; the recovery page describes what you can expect during recovery after tongue and oral cavity surgery.

The information here is for general education and does not replace an individual assessment. If you have noticed a sore, patch or swelling in your mouth that has not gone away for several weeks, the right step is to be examined by a doctor.^1,2

References

1. National Cancer Institute. Lip and oral cavity cancer treatment (PDQ®)–⁠patient version [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute; [updated 2025 May 16; cited 2026 Oct 5]. Available from: cancer.gov ↩

2. American Cancer Society. Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer early detection, diagnosis, and staging [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): American Cancer Society; [revised 2026 Mar 23; cited 2026 Oct 12]. Available from: cancer.org ↩