Current management of cancer of the lip

Carcinoma of the lip is the most common cancer of the oral cavity, occurring most frequently on the lower lip of elderly males. Less advanced neoplasms may be treated equally successfully by surgery or irradiation, and results are cosmetically acceptable by both methods. Reconstruction of the lip following surgical ablation of tumor usually consists of primary repair. Larger defects require flaps from the opposite lip, adjacent cheek, or more distant tissue. Although prophylactic neck dissection is usually not indicated, the presence of neck metastases from carcinoma of the lip is best managed by neck dissection followed by postoperative radiotherapy. The prognosis for curing lip cancer is dependent upon the size of the primary tumor and whether cervical metastasis has occurred. The overall five-year cure rate of lip cancer approximates 80%. The cure rate of patients with neck metastases is approximately 50%.