Treatment causes the skin and perichondrium to return to their normal positions, allowing blood to reach the cartilage again. A forceful blow to the jaw may fracture the bones surrounding the ear canal and distort the canal's shape, often narrowing it. Noncancerous tumors may develop in the ear canal, blocking it and causing a buildup of earwax and hearing loss. The best treatment is removal of the tumor. After treatment, hearing usually returns to normal.
Treatment consists of surgical removal of the cancer and the surrounding tissue.
When these cancers first appear, they can be successfully treated by excising them or by applying radiation therapy. More advanced cancers may require surgical removal of a larger area of the external ear. When the cancer has invaded the cartilage of the ear, surgery is more effective than radiation therapy. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers also may develop in or spread to the ear canal. Their treatment consists of surgically removing the cancer and a wide margin of the surrounding tissue, followed by radiation therapy.