Abstract
We studied the clinical charactristics of multicentric carcinoma in the oral cavity and pharynx. During a period of 12 years from 1977 to 1988 at Shikoku Cancer Center Hospital, 8 out of 332 patients (2.4%) with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral region (oral cavity and oropharynx) had multicentric carcinomas. In 5 patients the cancers developed synchronously and in 3 at different times.
Smoking and alcohol drinking were considered to be significant factors related to the carcinogenesis of multicentric carcinoma, although the concept of field carcinogenesis advocated by Slaughter was also considered.
However, we could not rule out the role of radiation in the patients who had had radiotherapy and then developed nonsynchronous multicentric cancer.
For patients in the high risk group because of a history of smoking and drinking, initial multimodal therapy and long term following-up should be emphasized to improve the clinical outcome.
