Abstract

Cancers of the cervix and buccal cavity share histologic, epidemiologic, and exposure characteristics. In particular, cigarette smoking and human papillomavirus (HPV) have been cited as etiologic cofactors of both malignancies. Using incidence data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute for the years 1973 through 1984, we evaluated the incidence of second cancers of the buccal cavity following an initial cervical cancer. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were uniformly elevated for both white (SIR = 2.0), and black (SIR = 3.5) women. There were also elevated risks for the development of cervical cancer following an initial buccal cavity cancer (SIRs = 3.3 and 2.5, respectively). A similar pattern was evident for laryngeal cancer among white women. HPV transmission could account in part for the paired occurrence of these two anatomically distinct cancer sites. Cigarette smoking could act as a synergistic cofactor in the malignant transformation of viral genome-harboring tissue.