KEY POINTS

  • Different types of cancer exhibit different symptoms as well
  • Some rare types of cancer would have a symptom that you may mistakenly neglect
  • A symptom in the ear is among the symptoms of the rare cancer type

Cancer symptoms can vary from one type to another. There may be times when one type of cancer would have certain symptoms that would be similar to another type. There are also rare forms of cancer that would have signs which may be considered as uncommon. One of these types of cancer exhibits a symptom in the ear that many may not even be aware of.

A Rare Type of Cancer

You may have already heard about bowel cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, or lung cancer, and you may have also been familiar with the associated symptoms. Have you ever heard of ear canal cancer?

This may be a rare form of cancer, but there are cases of this one. The symptoms that you must watch out for would be a discharge from your ear, pain, loss of hearing, weakness in the face, and a lump in the ear canal.

ear cancer canal discharge
ear cancer canal discharge williamsje1 - Pixabay

Cancer of the ear is a rare form, and the numbers also attest to this. Cancer Research UK states that out of 100 cancers that develop on the skin, only between 5 and 10 occur or develop on the ear.

Cause of Ear Cancer

There is no known cause of ear cancer. What was determined by the organization, as per Express’ report, was that those who had a history of chronic ear infections faced a higher risk of developing the disease in the middle ear.

While ear cancer could present symptoms, the only way that you would be able to confirm a diagnosis would be to take a little amount of tissue from the affected area. This process is called a biopsy, as explained by Cancer Research UK.

The process requires a local anesthetic to be applied to numb the area where the sample will be taken. A pathologist would then examine the sample under a microscope.

For this type of cancer, the primary treatments would include radiotherapy and surgery. Treatments would also depend on certain factors, such as the type of cancer and the size of the tumor.

Health experts advise that you can reduce your risk of developing cancer by making changes to your lifestyle and to your environment. By living a healthy lifestyle, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing cancer.