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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

A Model for Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: January 5, 2017
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and metachronous second primaries
Objectives:
To assess the rate of second (or more) primaries after treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and survival compared to patients with a single head and neck cancer.
Material And Method:
A single-center retrospective study was performed in a University Hospital Center in 541 patients between 2002 and 2010.
Results:
One hundred and forty-one patients (26.06%) presented 172 metachronous cancers. Overall 5-year survival was 20.3% with and 38.1% without metachronous cancer. Median and mean survival were respectively 21.9 and 51 months in patients with a single cancer, versus 13.9 and 26.5 months in case of metachronous cancer. Specific survival was comparable to overall survival. All-cause and specific survival were significantly poorer in metachronous cancer (P=0.001; log-rank α=0.05).
Conclusion:
At least a quarter of HNSCC patients go on to develop a metachronous second primary. These are of poor prognosis, whatever their location.
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