4 MULTIPLE PRIMARY MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS OF THE AERODIGESTIVE TRACT

Multiple primary cancers of the head, neck, and upper aerodigestive tr act have been documented in patients previously treated for oropharyng eal cancer. There generally is no causal relationship established betw een the different tumors. Two synchronous or metachronous cancers are common, three are unusual, and four are very unusual. We describe the treatment of a patient with tonsillar and synchronous esophageal and p ulmonary cancers followed by a tongue cancer over a 6-year period. (C) 1998 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.