The Very First Changes in the Tongue with the Development of Cancer

We describe the case of an elderly man with a 3-month history of pain at the tip of his tongue due to a lingual cancer. The lesion appeared slightly depressed and reddish. Our images show the very first changes in the tongue with the development of cancer. Patients with tongue pain often visit the internal medicine department first, so highlighting this case will help physicians detect lingual cancer quickly. LEARNING POINTS: Surgical treatment of lingual cancer may affect several tongue functions and remarkably decrease quality of life, so early detection is important to both improve prognosis and maintain quality of life after surgery. Lingual cancer first appears as a slightly depressed reddish lesion as lingual papillae disappear. Since patients with tongue pain often visit the internal medicine department first, early detection of lingual cancer depends on physicians.