TERT promoter mutation in patients with second primary of tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

It is well known that head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are characterized by genetic alterations, genomic instability and different immune defects and Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations have been found with high rates in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinomas. We presented a non-smoker, no alcohol consuming woman who had a second primary tongue SCC after four and a half years later of her first tongue SCC with TERT promoter mutation. The primary tumor and its recurrences in woman with tongue SCC who have never smoked and had no alcohol consumption may need to be differing from other tongue carcinomas. TERT promoter mutations may have a relation in etiopathogenesis of tumor and mutations need to be on mind in future studies.