Lung malignancies metastatic to the oral cavity

An analysis of intraoral metastatic lesions from lung cancers reported in the English-language literature was surveyed. Thirty-seven acceptable cases were found, and an additional case is presented. The average age of these cases was 54.0 years, with a marked male predilection. In a significant number of cases (48.6 percent) appearance of the intraoral metastases preceded discovery of the primary lesion. The mandible was the most common site of involvement (55.2 percent) and the symptoms were quite variable. Our results did not support a "seeding" hypothesis whereby sputum-borne cancer cells settle out in areas of traumatized tissue.