Abstract
IntroductionWith an estimated incidence of 2%-4% per year, the development of a second primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with head and neck tumors (HNTs) is not a rare event. The present study aimed to (i) assess the frequency of SPMs in patients with HNTs treated in a university hospital over a five-year period and (ii) provide a demographic characterization of these patients.MethodsRetrospective single-centre study of patients with more than one primary tumor (including at least one HNT) diagnosed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Data were retrieved from patients’ clinical records and anonymized for analysis purposes.ResultsA total of 53 out of 824 (6.43%) patients with multiple primary malignancies were identified, 18 of which synchronous and 35 metachronous. The median follow-up was 25 months. Thirteen patients were diagnosed with more than one HNT. Forty patients were diagnosed with at least one HNT and one non-HNT. The most frequently diagnosed non-HNT SPMs were lung cancer (n=17) and esophageal cancer (n=8). The five-year survival rate was 53% for patients with multiple HNSCCs and 47% for patients with at least one non-HNT (log-rank p=0.729). The median overall survival was 14 months for synchronous and 58 months for metachronous SPMs (log-rank p=0.002).ConclusionFindings from this study highlight the importance of long-term follow-up of HNT patients for early detection of SPMs, increasing the chance of providing treatment with curative intent and improving patient outcomes and survival.
Highlights
With an estimated incidence of 2%-4% per year, the development of a second primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with head and neck tumors (HNTs) is not a rare event
Due to the clinical relevance of SPMs, follow-up of all patients with a primary HNT is recommended, to detect relapse and manage treatment-related toxicities and for early detection of metachronous SPMs [7,8]
Inclusion criteria were: (1) male or female patient ≥ 18 years old; (2) diagnosis of at least two malignant lesions confirmed by histopathological examination; (3) at least one of the malignant lesions must be an HNT; (4) patients cases presented in the HNT multidisciplinary tumor board between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019
Summary
Retrospective single-centre study of patients with more than one primary tumor (including at least one HNT) diagnosed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Data were retrieved from patients’ clinical records and anonymized for analysis purposes This was a single-centre retrospective study conducted in a university hospital in Lisbon. The clinical records of all patients included in the HNT multidisciplinary tumor board between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019, were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were: (1) male or female patient ≥ 18 years old; (2) diagnosis of at least two malignant lesions confirmed by histopathological examination; (3) at least one of the malignant lesions must be an HNT; (4) patients cases presented in the HNT multidisciplinary tumor board between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019.
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