[Surgical treatment of malignant lip tumors. Personal experience]

The malignant tumours of the lip account for nearly 1-2% of the cervicofacial neoplasms. These lesions are frequently spinous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas (25% of all oral cancers). The spinous cell carcinoma is mainly located in the lower lip, the basal cell carcinoma is more common in the upper lip. The incidence of lip cancer in males is much high than in females. The etiopathogenesis of these lesions is connected with exposure to sun, smoking, genetics predisposition (mutation of the p53 suppressor factor) and with the evolution of precancerous lesions (radiodermatitis, chronic cheilitis, xeroderma pigmentosum). Some Authors emphasized the viral etiopathogenesis: HPV16, HPV24, HSV1, HSV2. The treatment of lip carcinoma is surgical: excision and reconstruction. The numerous reconstructive techniques are mostly the cutaneous local sliding flaps and the rotation flaps. The lip reconstruction require a remarkable diligence for preserve, as much possible, the shape and functions of lip. The Authors report their experience about the surgical treatment of 19 patients with lip carcinoma (16 spinous cell carcinomas, 3 basal cell carcinomas) and describe the main surgical reconstructive techniques to preserve the feeding, phonation and mimic expression.