Second primary malignancies in head and neck cancer patients: High prevalence of curable-stage disease

Background and purpose Patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) carry a high risk of second primary malignancies (SPM). Recently, computed tomography (CT) of the chest was shown to significantly decrease the risk of death due to bronchial carcinoma (BC) in a cohort of smokers whose risk of BC is increased but might be lower than that of patients previously treated for HNSCC. Thus, the present study evaluated the potential benefit of CT and other examinations in the detection of SPM in HNSCC patients. Patients and methods Between July 2008 and November 2011, 118 participants underwent a prospective, systematic examination for SPM (13 women, 105 men, median age 62 years). All patients had been previously treated for HNSCC and showed no recurrence or distant metastases at the time of the study start. CT scans, ear–nose–throat endoscopy, and endoscopy of the esophagus and stomach were performed. Results Overall, 33 suspicious findings were clarified by additional investigations. In all, 26 SPM were confirmed in 21 of 118 patients (18 %; 10 lung, 7 HNSCC, 3 gastrointestinal, 1 renal). Eighteen of these 21 patients (86 %) underwent therapy with curative intent. Conclusion The examinations revealed a high prevalence of curable stage SPM in HNSCC patients. Adapting a surveillance scheme including a chest CT is recommended.