HEMONC: Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip after allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip after allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation ================================================================================

Issam Hamadah, Yousef Binamer, Saad Alajlan, Amr Nassar, Abu Jafar M. Saleh

on 14/06/2010 08:48:00 Secondary malignancies are observed more frequently after HSCT compared with the general population.1 Use of newer therapies and supportive care has improved the number of survivors experiencing more late effects secondary to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and autoimmunity. Exposure to chemoradiation before and during transplant along with the occurrence of GVHD carries the highest risk for developing secondary malignancies.2 Although the majority are hematological malignancies like leukemias and lymphomas, other malignancies involving the oral cavity, skin, and gut are not uncommon. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common form of solid tumors originating in different sites. A large, international case-control study showed that the strongest risk factors for SCC were the severity of chronic GVHD and the duration of immunosuppressive therapy.3 We present two cases of SCC affecting the lower lip diagnosed several years after allogeneic HSCT. Both patients had extensive chronic GVHD.