Oral squamous carcinoma in a patient with cervix cancer: use of human papillomavirus analysis to differentiate synchronous versus metastatic tumor

• Published in: Gynecologic oncology Vol. 89; no. 3; pp. 522 - 525
• Main Authors: Fracchioli, S, Porpiglia, M, Arisio, R, Voglino, G, Katsaros, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01-06-2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - secondary; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - virology; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Mouth Neoplasms - diagnosis; Mouth Neoplasms - secondary; Mouth Neoplasms - virology; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary - diagnosis; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary - pathology; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary - virology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Papillomaviridae - genetics; Papillomavirus Infections - complications; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Tumor Virus Infections - complications; Tumor Virus Infections - virology; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - diagnosis; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - virology; Human; Squamous cell carcinoma; Stomatology; Genomics; Papovaviridae; Malignant tumor; Uterine cervix; Metastasis; Differential diagnostic; Papillomavirus; Virus; Case study; Pathology; Oral cavity; Synchronous; Human papillomavirus; Female genital system; Oral cavity disease; Molecular biology; Elderly; Uterine cervix diseases; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0090-8258; 1095-6859
• DOI: 10.1016/S0090-8258(03)00129-X

Cervical cancer usually spreads by direct infiltration and disseminates by lymphatic and hematogenous pathways. The common sites of distant metastases are the lungs, liver, and bones. Other rare metastatic sites have been previously described including only one case of oral cavity metastasis.
We present here the second case of a patient with apparent oral cavity metastasis from cervical cancer. By cloning specific human papilloma virus (HPV) genomic regions, the two lesions showed HPV genomic sequences from different viruses (18 and 33, for the uterine cervix and the oral cavity, respectively), thus indicating the oral lesion as a synchronous second primary tumor.
The use of molecular markers to distinguish between a secondary and a primary lesion is recommendable in cervical cancer, particularly when reporting rare site metastases.