Laurelle van Tilburg et al. Endoscopic screening of the upper gastrointestinal tract for second primary tumors in patients with head and neck cancer in a Western country
In this prospective, single-center study, including 202 patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), screening with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy detected an esophageal second primary tumor (SPT) in 5 % of the patients. Of the patients with SPTs, 90 % were diagnosed with an early stage SPT, allowing endoscopic resection with curative intent. The authors suggest that selected patients with HNSCC should routinely undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopic screening 1 to 2 years after HNSCC diagnosis.
