One of the rarest oncological conditions is ear cancer. Such tumors are very rare in practice.
Tumors in the ear region are considered to be one of the most dangerous, because they are characterized by rapid development and numerous metastases that spread through the cranium to the nearest organs: lymph nodes, jaw.
The risk of such a metastasis is its destructive effect on the skull bone and brain. More often oncology affects the auricle, at least - the external ear, and in exceptional cases, the cancer is localized in the middle ear.
Types of Ear Cancer
Specialists distinguish several classifications of ear cancers. The cancer of the ear can be of malignant and benign origin. To malignant tumors of the ear are:
- Sarcomas are rare tumors, characterized by slow growth and development, tightly soldered to the tissue on which they develop, do not cause adenopathic processes and later ulcerate;
- Melanomas - such a tumor is formed from pigmented nevi( moles) or skin cells, is multifaceted and deep, and above the skin surface, and along it. With an increase in the depth of the lesion, the prognosis deteriorates. Especially dangerous melanomas are rapid and relatively early metastasis mainly in lymph nodes, less often by hematogenous pathway to other organs. Women are more often affected than women;
- Carcinomas - a fairly rare tumor that develops in the external auditory canal, is prone to germination in the middle region, is characterized by a rapidly progressive nature, is capable of destroying the bones of the temple;
- Squamous cell carcinoma is considered to be the most common tumor, developing mainly in elderly men against the background of age-related skin atrophic changes, eczema or senile keratosis( excessive cornification of the skin).It is characterized by slow growth, a long process of decay and ulceration. It is able to germinate into the outer passage of the ear, then into the salivary gland, the mid-tegmental region and the cranial cavity.
- Basaliomas are characterized by low malignancy, slow growth and ulcerative processes. It has a recurrent character and is not prone to metastasis. It is more common in older men.
As for benign formations, they form a large group:
- Nevuses - so experts call moles or birthmarks caused by excessive development of pigment cells;
- Fibromas - are formed mainly on the earlobe, usually at the place where the puncture under the earring is made, less often such tumors develop on other parts of the ear. The size of such formations can reach the parameters of hazelnut;
- Adenomas - nodular formations, formed from epithelial glandular tissues;
- Papillomas - are found most often and develop only on the shell and outer ear passage, are characterized by slow development and small size;
- Lipomas - grow from fatty tissues, form in layers of subcutaneous tissue, and are characterized by frequent relapses;
- Osteomas - are formed from the bone tissue of the external ear, are characterized by a recurring character;
- Hemangiomas - are considered common tumors of the external ear. They grow slowly, often go beyond the ear, greatly expanding and destroying surrounding tissues. May provoke profuse bleeding.
This photo shows a cancerous ear tumor - basalioma
There is a classification of tumors according to their structure:
- Solitary-vegetative;
- Ulcerative;
- Ulcerative infiltrative.
In addition, the ear tumors, depending on the histological structure, are divided into:
- Sarcomas - nodular, rounded formation of white-yellow color;
- Basaliomas are like scars or ulcers;
- Spinocellular epithelioma is the fastest growing malignant tumor, usually takes the form of a wart and is located on the shell of the ear.
Ear tumors are classified and in their localization:
- Ear concha of the ear - is diagnosed in more than 80% of clinical cases of ear cancers;
- Tumors of the external ear - are found in almost 15% of cases;
- In the middle ear, oncology is rarely localized - about 4% of all ear formations.
Degree of distribution of
There are four cancerous levels of ear localization:
- Degree I is a sore or small tumor( not more than 5 mm), located only on skin tissues;
- Degree II - tumor processes spread to cartilaginous ear tissues, destroying it;
- III degree - the external ear is fully involved in tumor processes, adenopathy develops;
- IV degree - oncology extends to the cervical lymph nodes.
Causes of development of
Benign tumors of ear locating are caused by pathogenetic processes that cause rapid cellular development and division. Usually it is fatty, dermal, bone or cartilaginous, vascular tissues.
The formation of a malignant nature is associated with malignant metaplastic processes in tissues. In addition, cancerous processes in the ear often develop due to the degeneration of benign tumors.
Specialists identify several pathogenic factors leading to oncology of the ear:
- Chronic eczema of ear localization;
- Ear pathologies of advanced chronic form;
- Presence of precancerous diseases;
- Hereditary predisposition to oncology, the presence of blood relatives with ear cancer;
- Chronic form of laryngitis;
- Polyps in the ENT organs;
- Ultraviolet or radiative forcing;
- Lupus, psoriatic processes;
- Presence of post-traumatic scars in the ears.
First signs of
The clinical picture of oncology depends on its variety and degree of malignancy. Any unusual formation can be oncological. An experienced oncologist at a routine examination can determine the type of education.
The localization of education also matters. Middle and outer ear cancers are characterized by the following symptoms:
- Ear pain radiating to the jaw or head;
- Headaches with dizziness;
- Burning pain in the ear;
- Hearing loss, feeling of stuffiness;
- Itching manifestations;
- Muco-purulent discharge from the ear;
- Putrid odor from the ear;
- Appearance of bleeding, polyps or ulceration;
- Enlargement of lymph nodes.
At the onset of the oncological process, the pain syndrome is periodic, but with the further development of cancer, it acquires a constant, paroxysmal significance.
If the tumor is located in the tympanic cavity, then the patient is troubled by symptoms such as:
- Pain Syndrome;
- Progressive hearing impairment;
- Extraneous noise.
Diagnosis of the oncology of the ear area
For the diagnosis of oncological processes in the ears, you need to contact the otolaryngologist and oncologist who prescribe the necessary procedures to the patient:
- Biopsy;
- Computed tomography;
- Microtoscopy;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- Radiography;
- Sensing, etc.
Treatment of
The main goal of therapy is to see the hearing preservation, for which different methods of surgical intervention are used. The application of certain methods depends on the nature of education, its degree of distribution and the stage of development.
Surgical Method
In ear cancer, a surgical technique is often used, involving the partial removal of the temporal bone. This operation is called subtotal resection. Also, the tumoral cartilage and the cancers themselves are removed, in other words, a mastoidectomy operation is performed.
If the size of the tumor is small, it is used for scraping, but it can lead to relapses. In carrying out surgical operations, surgeons strictly follow the ablastic principles, which prevent the spread of cancer through the blood flow.
Radiotherapy
One of the effective methods of treatment of tumor processes is irradiation with X-rays, which provides a suppressive effect on the growth of education.
In addition, irradiation can be performed by a radiotherapy or high-voltage method. Such treatment is usually used against melanoma, sarcoma and other cancers. Sometimes such therapy is prescribed to inoperable patients to alleviate the course of cancer in later stages of oncology.
Chemotherapy
This method involves taking anti-cancer drugs from the group of cytotoxic drugs. It is considered the main therapeutic technique in the treatment of ear cancer, as it helps inhibit the growth and further development of the tumor process. With distant metastasis, systemic chemotherapy is indicated.
Cryodestruction of the tumor
Usually used in cases where the oncology is located in the outer or middle ear. The technique involves freezing the formation by exposing it to liquid nitrogen, resulting in the death of cancer cells.
Radiotherapy
A similar technique involves the use of corpuscular ionizing treatment when the ear is treated with a special device that emits gamma rays( Cyber-knife or Gamma-knife).
Moxibustion
This treatment is based on the principles of diathermocoagulation, when tissue is exposed to a high-frequency electric current. Such treatment can be contact and non-contact. The procedure is similar to radiotherapy, only the current frequency here reaches 400 kHz, and in radiotherapy only up to 4 MHz.
Prognosis and prevention measures
It is difficult to immediately predict the further course of the cancer process. If it is found at an early stage and adequate treatment has been applied to it, then the prognosis will be quite favorable.
Statistics show that at I-II degree of lesion the survival percentage reaches more than 74% of .If the formation has germinated in any organ, skull or lymph nodes, or has metastasized in the body, the survival rate does not exceed 5%.