Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in a female with advanced breast cancer: A case report of an elderly patient presenting with two types of cancer

Abstract

Elderly patients with cancer are frequently undertreated as they are considered to be unfit for treatment due to inaccurate estimations of the operative risk. In the current study, the case of an 81-year-old female smoker with advanced breast cancer is presented. The patient had received numerous cycles of chemo- and hormonal therapy and the cancer only progressed locally. After six years, the patient developed a second type of cancer; a moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. The patient refused any local treatment and she received supportive care only. There is currently a lack of data regarding the molecular mechanisms of second primary cancers as well as other delayed outcomes following cancer treatment. Therefore, it is proposed that chemotherapy may promote the presentation of the second cancer as a result of immunosuppression.

Cantharidin inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma through suppression of miR-214 and regulation of p53 and Bcl-2/Bax

“…Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) has the highest incidence of oral cancers with cervical lymph-node metastasis occurring in early stage, rendering it an early event for the development of TSCC. Thus, it is particularly important to identify clinical treatment as well as prediction of recurrence and prognosis (3).…”

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Younger Adult Female with a History of Breast Cancer: A Rare Case Report

“…They proposed the previous chemotherapeutic treatment may have been involved to predispose the second neoplasm in the tongue. Similarly, previous articles demonstrated, chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression promotes carcinogenesis causing skin tumors particularly SCC [10,11]. Many anticancer drugs cause damage to the DNA of cells, and may act as carcinogens after long term treatments.…”

“…The patient presented with painful nodule on her tongue then progressed to involve the floor of the mouth and the left border of the tongue, and which histologically present as a moderately differentiated SCC. However, it was not originated as a result of metastasis from the breast [10]. They proposed the previous chemotherapeutic treatment may have been involved to predispose the second neoplasm in the tongue.…”

Non‐habit‐associated squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in a treated breast cancer patient

“…2 A very few cases have been reported in the literature, wherein a second malignancy was observed in the oral cavity following the treatment protocols of breast carcinoma. 1,2 This present paper is one of such rare cases to report the adverse effects of primary cancer and its subsequent treatment modes.…”

“…The effects of the treatment strategies make a certain population of cancer patients susceptible to developing second cancer as an adverse sequela to the first. 1 Though cohorts of patients who might be at a high risk of such adverse outcomes are not yet identified, still, very few cases have been reported in literature wherein cancer patients, post-treatment, subsequently developed second cancer. 1,2 In this context, we report a case of a breast cancer patient who later developed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) of the tongue and discuss the possible aetiologies of such unfavourable consequences.…”