Relapse and Second Malignancy
Gingival infiltrates, oral infection, and/or bleeding disproportionate to local
etiology can indicate possible relapsed disease. Painless unilateral
lymphadenopathy can also represent relapse in patients with previously treated
lymphoma.
Incidence of second malignancy can increase as cancer patients live longer.
Previous exposure to chemotherapy and radiation and alterations in immune
function, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and GVHD therapy collectively contribute to risk for second
malignancy. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequently occurring
secondary oral malignancy in transplant patients, with the lips and tongue being the most frequently reported sites.
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