Multiple primary cancers in patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma is associated with an increased risk of other primary malignancies, mainly within the head and neck, as well as in the oesophageal gastric graft. More frequent recognition of multiple primary cancers associated with esophageal cancer, both synchronous and metachronous, is associated with longer follow-up after radical cancer treatment for esophageal cancer and high quality diagnostic procedures, both before and after surgery. The paper reviews the available literature and describes the molecular basis of the formation of multiple primary tumors associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.