Aggressive squamous cell carcinoma of the lip

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lip typically has a good prognosis when diagnosed at an early stage and treated properly. We present a 65-year-old man with a 3-month history of an ulcerative lesion of the lower lip. On physical examination, he had an ulceration of approximately 5×5 cm in the mucosa of the lower lip, extending through 50% of the lip, and multiple mandibular and neck lymph nodes. The biopsy confirmed SCC of the lip. Surgical treatment was recommended, but the patient was lost to follow-up. The patient eventually returned to the hospital for medical treatment. However, the physical examination, and the images obtained showed progression of the disease. Chemotherapy was started with improvement in the primary site, but he then developed a large submental mass compatible with SCC. The tumour was considered incurable at that time. Palliative radiation therapy was offered; however, he refused any further procedures or treatment.