On 7/4, Doctor Nguyen Minh Tien from Nguyen Trai Hospital reported a patient was admitted with a tumor on her left cheek lining, approximately 3x3 cm in size. The patient had previously noticed a hard lump in her mouth that gradually increased in size and caused mild pain when chewing. However, she initially dismissed it as a common ulcer, delaying early examination.

Examination and biopsy confirmed the patient had cheek lining cancer. MRI results revealed the tumor had deeply invaded the cheek cavity, with no distant metastasis recorded. Due to the potential impact on chewing and swallowing, doctors consulted and performed a gastrostomy for feeding before surgically excising the tumor, performing neck dissection, and reconstructing with a submental flap.

Following surgery, the patient recovered well. The incision was dry and healed properly. She was fed via a gastric tube and discharged after 5 days. Pathology results confirmed the entire tumor had been removed.

According to Doctor Tien, wide excision surgery combined with lymph node dissection and immediate reconstruction using a submental flap provides radical treatment, minimizes facial deformity, and improves chewing and speech ability post-surgery. Pre-operative nutritional preparation also helps reduce complications and shorten recovery time.

Medical staff during the patient's surgery. Photo: Quynh Tran

Cheek lining cancer often begins with small lesions, which are easily mistaken for common mouth ulcers. Doctors advise people to seek early examination if a mouth ulcer persists for more than two weeks without healing, if a hard lump appears in the oral cavity, or if unusual bleeding occurs. Individuals over 40 years old with habits of smoking and drinking alcohol should undergo regular screenings for early detection of the disease.

Le Phuong