CLINICAL EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH MORE THAN 3 MULTIPLE MALIGNANCIES

Abstract

Patients with more than 3 multiple malignancies (13 patients, 45 sites) including head and cancer treated in our hospital were clinically evaluated. The most common primary site of multiple malignancies in the head and neck was the oral cavity. Esophagus and lung were common sites other than the head and neck. Although a history of smoking and drinking was a common risk factor, the amount of smoking and drinking was not proportional linear to the incidence, and multiple malignancies also occurred in the patients without a history of smoking and drinking. The importance of screening examination was emphasized since most of the subsequent malignancies were found during pre-treatment screening and follow-up of previous malignancies at early stages. Long-time follow-up was considered to be important since several subsequent malignancies occurred more than 5 years after the treatment of previous malignancy, especially in the head and neck. The prognosis of patients with more than 3 malignancies was not always poor when early diagnosis and treatment was performed.