The genetic aspects of secon primary tumors development in head and neck region

The genetic changes in condemned mucosa of upper aerodigestve tract and personal succeptibility for cancerogens have the impact of great importance for development of head and neck cancer. The genetic bacground of multistep cancerogenesis proces has the crucial role in multiple primary malignancies, i. e. in patients who develop second primary tumor (SPT). The authors present the contemporary definition of multiple primary tumors according to International Agency for Research on Cancer-IARC, the epidemiological data of SPT and established risk factors. The field cancerogenesis theory given by Slaughter, neoplastic cell migration theory proposed by Sidranski and methods of determinating the clonality are widely discussed and revieved from current literature. We underlined the „host factor”; the individual succeptibility for toxic agents. Mutagen sensitivity is one of intrinsic, individual biomarkers and is strictly connected with genetic predysposition to cancer development, wchih is extremly important in SPT patients. According to genetics, molecular biology and immunology progresses which lead to better undrstanding of cancerogenesis mechanisms, the treatmnent possibilities are much more wider, as well as the promissing directions in cancer prevention are shown. Chemoprevention may play an important role in decreasing the rate head and neck SPT development.