A 62-year-old man presented with multiple malignant tumors, predominantly involving the head and neck region, including the esophagus, gum, oropharynx, larynx, lungs, and stomach. Histopathological analysis revealed that while the majority of the tumors were squamous cell carcinomas, other types including spindle cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma were also identified. Oropharyngeal cancer and oral cancer developed within a previously irradiated field from treatment 10 years prior. All subsequent primary tumors were detected at early stages through extensive multimodal surveillance, allowing for minimally invasive curative resections and contributing to long-term survival. This case underscores the necessity of lifelong, continuous monitoring for survivors of multiple primary cancers, as new malignancies can emerge long after initial treatments.
Miyauchi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.