Metachronous and Synchronous Multiple Primary Carcinomas in an Elderly

Abstract

The prognosis of most cancers has been improved in recent years due to the increased survival of cancer patients, the prolonged lifespan of the general population, and better diagnostic and surgical approaches. Subsequently, the number of patients with multiple primary carcinomas (MPCs) has become greater. In this report, we describe a unique case of a 71-year-old man with five metachronous and synchronous primary malignant tumors. The patient was first diagnosed with synchronous, left posterior tonsillar pillar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and right lingual surface of epiglottis SCC in June 2016. Two years later, he presented with three other primary carcinomas within a 3-month time span: right lower lobe lung SCC, right tongue invasive SCC and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), consecutively. Investigations revealed no metastases of the primary neoplasms. As the population of older adults with cancer and multimorbidity grows, the therapeutic options usually become limited. On the other hand, understanding the effect of multimorbidity on the care of patients with cancer and developing therapeutic interventions for these elderly patients would be crucial for geriatric care.




J Med Cases. 2019;10(1):8-13
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3172