Background: The risk of multiple primary tumors in the head and neck area is higher than that in other areas of the body.
Methods: A total of 573 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head or neck were studied prospectively during a 4.5-year period to determine the incidence of associated synchronous and metachronous second primary carcinoma.
Results: Multiple primary carcinoma was found in 2.4% of these patients (69% with synchronous primary tumors). Sixty-three percent of all second primary tumors occurred in the esophagus.
Conclusions: This report emphasizes the importance of esophagoscopy in the initial assessment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head or neck.