Oral Surgery · single question
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the mandible or tongue most commonly metastasizes to:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Lungs (hematogenous spread) and cervical lymph nodes (lymphatic spread)
- A. Brain metastasis is an uncommon pattern for oral SCC.
- B. Correct. Oral SCC metastasizes both lymphatically (to cervical lymph nodes — the first sign of spread) and hematogenously (to distant sites, most commonly the LUNGS). The lungs are the most common site of distant metastasis for head and neck SCC.
- C. Liver metastasis occurs with oral SCC but is less common than lung metastasis.
- D. Bone metastasis can occur but is less common than lung or cervical node spread.