Tongue Cancer during Pregnancy: A Case Report

Abstract

Background & Objective: Despite the rarity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma during pregnancy, the outbreak of its various malignant types is probable during pregnancy due to the increased maternal age and decreased age of cancer occurrence. Therefore, paying attention to any abnormal symptoms in any period, such as pregnancy, seems necessary. This study aimed to report a case of tongue cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Case Report: A 31-year-old woman who was at 18 weeks of her first pregnancy noticed an Aphthous stomatitis on her tongue. Since the routine Aphthous stomatitis treatment failed to treat the lesion and it developed and swelled in the neck and mouth region, the patient referred to her physician again. After carrying out a biopsy of the lesion, squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was diagnosed. The patient underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy after terminating the pregnancy by a cesarean section, and the malignant tumor shrank. Conclusion: It seems that a complete multidisciplinary study is needed to minimize fetal health risks and to optimize maternal treatment outcomes.