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Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Therapy Testing in a Spheroid-based 3D Cell Culture Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 20, 2018
Second primary tumours in head and neck cancer
Jesús Herranz González-Botas1, Patricia Varela Vázquez1, Carlos Vázquez Barro1
1Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, A Coruña, España.
Introduction And Objectives:
Head and neck cancer patients have a higher risk of second primary tumours than the general population. The most frequent locations are head and neck, lung and oesophagus, decreasing long-term survival. The aim of this work was to analyse the incidence, location according to index tumour and stage, chronology, patient age, and survival after diagnosis.
Method:
Retrospective study on 579 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, treated with curative intent, with a minimum 24-month follow-up. Early stages (I/II) were 42.4%, and 57.6% were stages III and IV.
Results:
Second primary tumour incidence was 15% (87/579), with 9.2% (8/97) developing a third tumour. The most frequent locations of the second tumours were head and neck, 37.9% (33/87); lung, 36.8% (32/87); oesophagus, 5.7% (5/87); and colon, 5.7% (5/87). Five- and 10-year survival in patients without a second tumour was 65.1% and 52.7% respectively, versus 58.7% and 40.2% in those who developed one.
Conclusions:
The incidence of second primary tumours increased in the last decade, having a negative effect on survival. Since no specific early diagnosis tool is available, alcohol and tobacco avoidance along with scheduled follow-up are suggested procedures to reduce its incidence.
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