title: Tonsillar carcinoma in the contralateral tonsil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report a series of patients treated for carcinoma of the tonsil who either presented with bilateral carcinomas or later developed a second primary carcinoma of the contralateral tonsil. This report raises awareness of this occurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cases have been identified of either concomitant or subsequent carcinoma of the contralateral tonsil inpatients treated for tonsillar carcinoma from the practices of 3 head and neck surgeons in a single demographic area over a 35 year span.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients were identified who were treated for tonsillar carcinoma with concomitant or subsequent carcinoma of the contralateral tonsil: One patient with bilateral metastatic carcinoma in cervical lymph nodes was found to have bilateral occult tonsillar primaries.Three patients who were treated for tonsillar primary carcinomas subsequently developed carcinoma of the contralateral tonsil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small population of patients with unilateral tonsil carcinoma will developed a second in the contralateral tonsil. This raises the question of whether removal of the contralateral tonsil at the time of initial treatment might have spared the morbidity/mortality of the subsequent contralateral tonsil cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pokala
authors.forename: Jesus E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Greg A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Krempl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*