Ear cancer is a type of condition that describes the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant cells in the ear cavity. Although in most cases, ear tumors are benign, some of them turn cancerous with time. Ear tumors can occur in any part of the ear, including the outer ear, middle ear and the inner ear, and may severely affect one’s hearing ability. Ear cancer can also affect the temporal bone inside the ear (the bony lump behind your ear) leading to complete hearing damage.

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Ear Cancer

Types

Ear tumours are of different types; including both benign and malignant ones. These include:

Benign Tumours:

  • Acoustic neuromas
  • Adenomas
  • Glomus tympanicum paraganglioma
  • Cholesteatomas
  • Keloids
  • Osteoma
  • Sebaceous cysts

Malignant Tumours:

  • Basal cell carcinoma
  • Ceruminous adenoma
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
  • Melanoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

Causes

Just like any other form of cancer, there is no solid evidence behind ear cancers, but some scientific data indicates that these ear cancers mainly occur when there is a mutation in the DNA of the ear cells. These mutated ear cells usually grow and multiply at a rapid rate without perishing on time, and eventually, they accumulate to form masses of tissues leading to tumours. If these tumours are not treated on time, the malignant cells may get free from the original point and spread to other locations in the body becoming metastatic cancer.

Risk Factors

Some causative risk factors that aggravate the chance of ear cancer include:

Age: Ear cancer is mostly seen in older people

Race: Ear cancer is detected more in light-skinned people

Infection: A chronic infection in the ear may aggravate the risk of ear tumours

Radiation: Exposure to radiation therapy increases the incidence of ear cancer

Inherited Condition: Genetically inherited conditions like Neurofibromatosis aggravates the chance of ear cancer

Sunlight: Direct exposure to sunlight can increase ear cancer

Water: Being in close contact with either hot or cold water for a long time increases the risk of ear cancer

Symptoms

The characteristic signs and symptoms of ear cancer include:

  • Ear pain
  • A wound or sore that doesn’t heal right away
  • Frequent headaches
  • Formation of new moles or changes to a previous mole
  • Swelling of lymph nodes and vessels
  • Tinnitus or ringing sensation in the ears
  • Dizziness or balance problem
  • Bleeding from the ears
  • Hearing difficulty or loss of hearing
  • Mucosal discharge from the ear
  • Skin discolouration
  • Weakness in the facial muscles

Diagnosis And Treatment

On noticing the common signs and symptoms, do consult a doctor right away. The doctor carefully conducts a complete ear examination, acknowledges the medical history and conducts a few diagnostics. These include:

  • Ear examination
  • Hearing test

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  • Imaging procedures like CT-scan and MRI-scan
  • Biopsy

Treatment

One can recover from ear cancer with proper treatment facilities if the cancer cells are detected at an early stage. On basis of the size, location and grade of the tumour and the physical condition of the patient, the available treatment options include:

  • Surgery
  • Radiation therapy
  • Radiosurgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Surgical removal of tumours and lymph nodes

Preventive Measures:

The incidence of ear tumours can be reduced by following tumours these preventive measures. These include:

  • Reducing exposure to intense sunlight
  • Wearing clothes that cover most of the body parts
  • Applying sunscreen with a high SPF on the open parts of the body
  • Covering the ear properly before going swimming