Surgery: Surgery is the preferred treatment for the management of ear cancer. Several types of surgeries are recommended to treat cancer; however, the type of surgery depends upon the location and severity of the tumor. Some of the surgeries for ear cancer are:
Excision biopsy: In the case of small ear cancer, the oncosurgeon removes the complete abnormal tissues during the biopsy. The tissues are then checked in the laboratory for cancerous cells. A border of healthy tissues is also removed along the tumor to lower the risk of recurrence.
Wide local excision: If the complete tumor is not removed through the excision biopsy, the wider area of the tumor, along with the healthy tissues is removed. The patients may have a cosmetic concern if a large area is removed. The surgeons reconstruct the ear through a flap or skin graft.
Mohs surgery: Mohs surgery is the procedure that involves consecutive removal of the skin layers and checking them under the microscope for the presence of cancer cells. The procedure is stopped when the layer without any cancer cells is obtained. The procedure reduces the risk of cancer recurrence.
Salivary gland and lymph node surgery: The patients may undergo lymph node removal surgery if the lymph nodes are swollen. If the patients are suspected of having the spread of the tumor to the salivary gland, the salivary glands are removed. The patients may experience dry mouth after removing the salivary gland.
Sleeve resection surgery: Sleeve resection surgery is a complex surgery and involves the removal of skin, bone, ear canal, and eardrum. The ear is reconstructed after the surgery. The hearing of the patient is not affected.
Lateral temporal bone resection surgery: During this procedure, the patients undergo surgery to remove the sleeve area of the outer ear and the middle ear. The majority of the patients have hearing loss after the surgery. However, hearing is restored in some patients through hearing aids.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is usually used in patients not eligible for ear cancer surgery. It may also be combined with surgery to improve the treatment outcome. Radiation therapy lowers the risk of cancer recurrence by killing the cancer cells after the surgery.
Chemotherapy: Some cases of ear cancer require chemotherapy for optimal management. The therapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be used in advanced ear cancer in combination with surgery and radiation therapy.
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