Metastatic tumors of the oral cavity

The pivotal reason for morbidity and mortality of any type of cancer is due to metastasis that occurs as a result of adaptation of genetically unstable cancer cells, in an ectopic conducive environment. Oral metastasis in spite of being unusual or rare represents around 25% of the first signs of metastatic spread. Literature says there are more number of cases of jaw bone metastasis reported than in the oral soft tissues. The most common primary organs metastasizing to the jaw bones and the oral soft tissues are the breast and the lungs respectively. The issue in diagnosing a metastatic tumor arises either when the patient does not reveal the history of the primary illness he or she may be suffering from or when he or she is unaware of it. Diagnosis in such situations is a challenge to the clinician or pathologist. Diagnosing any lymph node or distant metastasis from oral cancer is very important for the prognosis of the patient. In this review we have made an attempt, to explain some recent concepts of pathophysiology of the metastatic process, the clinical manifestations of metastatic tumors to the oral region and to discuss their diagnostic workup.