Base of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Metastasis to the Mandibular Symphysis: A Case Report

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignancy of the oropharynx (OP). Treatment of OP SCC includes chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. OP SCC can spread via direct extension, lymphatics, or hematogenously. Although rare, distant metastases can occur in OP SCC. The most common sites of metastasis include the lungs, bone, and liver. Other less common sites include the skin, bone marrow, brain, kidneys, eyes, and heart. Patients who present with distant metastases usually have a poor prognosis. Sites of bone metastases from more common to less common include the spine, skull, ribs, and axial bones. In this article, we discuss a patient who presents with HPV+ base of tongue SCC with metastases to the lungs and mandible symphysis. Base of tongue SCC metastasizing to the mandible symphysis is a rarely reported location of metastasis.