Second primary tumours in laryngeal cancer.

Second primary tumours develop in 3.8-20.5% of patients with laryngeal cancer. 2.2-15.3% of those occur in the upper aerodigestive tract, 1.1-12% in the lungs. More second tumours occur in supraglottic than in glottic cancer and more in males than in females. Both tobacco and alcohol are important risk factors. Second primary tumours usually carry a bad prognosis. Two approaches are possible to combat the problem: early detection and (chemo-)prevention. The largest chemoprevention study in head and neck cancer patients is EUROSCAN. Preliminary data of the study will be presented.