Metastatic Oral Cancer and the Importance of a thorough Neck Examination

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) account for over 90% of oral cancers. Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases. Metastasis of oral cancer to the thyroid is extremely rare. Rarer still are tumours metastasizing from the tongue to the thyroid. We present a case of a patient who presented to her dentist with a tongue SCC. Despite radical curative treatment, the tumour metastasized to the thyroid and the patient succumbed to the metastatic disease. We, additionally, highlight the importance of thorough lymph node and neck examination in the dental setting to help identify pathology in patients. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The importance of a thorough lymph node and neck examination at routine dental check-ups is highlighted.