Synchronous squamous cell carcinoma of the lips: A literature review & case report

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide accounting for 2–4% of all cancer cases. Second primary tumors (SPT), are considered to be a poor prognostic indicator for overall survival. Synchronous tumors are the SPTs that occur simultaneously or within 6 months of the index tumor. Synchronous squamous cell carcinoma frequently occurs in oral cavity (39%) with incidence rates of the lip ranging from 10 – 18%. SPTs are usually aggressive in nature with early metastasis and therefore require more aggressive treatment. We report a rare case of synchronous oral squamous cell carcinoma occurred in a relatively young patient (< 40 years) involving both upper and lower lips with literature review focusing on the pathogenesis and various studies that reported synchronous Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the lip.