In rare cases, implants may be associated with cancer, according to the authors of two case reports in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). Each article focuses on a single case, and each falls short of concluding that the implants are the definitive cause of this devastating complication.
One report, which also includes a literature review, cites a 38-year-old who had developed a low-grade chondroblastic osteosarcoma of the right maxilla 11 months after receiving a titanium dental implant. She was treated with systemic chemotherapy and then a maxillary resection (JADA, August 2008, Vol. 139:8, pp. 1052-1059).
In the second article, the authors cite the case of an 81-year-old who developed a squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) adjacent to an implant. The woman had a history of oral lichen planus (OLP). She developed an in situ SCCa on the left mandibular ridge, which was edentulous, three years after undergoing implant-supported reconstruction. A year after a marginal mandibular resection, a recurrence developed over the resected area, requiring segmental mandibulectomy (JADA, August 2008, Vol. 139:8, pp. 1061-1065).
As the use of endosseous implants continues to expand, careful follow up after procedures also needs to keep pace, the researchers found. A routine checkup every three months is the goal for an industry standard, keeping in mind that recurrent primary malignancy can masquerade as benign peri-implant complications such as peri-implantitis.
