Carcinoma of the dorsum of the tongue with lung carcinoma and duodenal carcinoma in one patient

Abstract

Introduction: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue is a common cancer of the oral region, generally occurring on the lateral surface of the tongue.Case report: We present a case of SCC of the dorsum of the tongue along with the development of two other primary cancers with different histologies in a 61-year-old Japanese woman, who presented with a mass on the dorsum of her tongue in 2017. Intraoral examination revealed a 2.5 × 1.5-cm tumor on the dorsum of the tongue without induration and covered with normal epithelium. She was previously diagnosed with carcinoma in an adenoma of the duodenum in 2013 and adenocarcinoma of the right lung in 2016. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed no evidence of malignant tumors in the head and neck region. The lesion of the tongue was surgically excised with a safe margin. Histological examination revealed well-differentiated SCCs that were completely excised.Discussion: This is a rare case of three primary cancers with different histologies in one patient. Clinicians should consider SCC of the dorsum of the tongue during diagnosis, since it is a rare region and the tumor may mimic benign tumors. Keywords: Adenocarcinoma of the lung, Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, Carcinoma in adenoma of the duodenum, Dorsum of the tongue, Triple carcinoma