Synchronous and metachronous squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites

Purpose: The present study presents the experience at the University of Florida with synchronous and meta-chronous squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites. Patients and Methods: This study included 1,112 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and supraglottic larynx treated with radiation therapy with curative intent from 1964 to 1997. All patients had follow-up far at least 2 years. No patients were lost to follow-up. Results: The overall survival rate was 45% and the disease-specific survival rate wets 67% at 5 years after initial diagnosis of carcinoma of the head and neck mucosal sites. Seventy-seven patients (7%) presented with synchronous carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites and 103 patients (9%) developed meta-chronous carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites at 0.6 to 21.7 years (median, 3.6 years). The overall survival rate wets 31%, and the disease-specific survival rate was 50% at 5 years after metachronous carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites. Seven patients (1%) developed metachronous carcinomas of the thoracic esophagus at 1 to 11.1 years (median, 2.8 years), 15 patients (1%) presented with synchronous carcinomas of the lung, and 83 patients (7%) developed metachronous carcinomas of the lung at 0.6 to 17.6 years (median, 3.5 years). Conclusion: Development of synchronous and meta-chronous squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites are in part responsible for failure to improve overall survival rates for patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck mucosal sites, justifying rigorous follow-up and studies on chemoprevention. J Clin Oncol 19:1358-1362. (C) 2001 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.