Mandibular conservation in oral cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Oral Cancer Research

Background:

• Surgery is a primary treatment for many oral cancers.
• Mandibular invasion in advanced cancers historically indicated surgery due to poor radiation response.
• The mandible's integrity is crucial for function and cosmesis in oral cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms of spread, evaluation, and prognosis of mandibular invasion in oral cancer.
• To discuss various surgical techniques for managing mandibular involvement.
• To highlight the role of mandibular conservation in oral squamous cell carcinoma treatment.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on mandibular invasion patterns and surgical management.
• Analysis of preoperative assessment techniques including clinical examination and imaging.
• Comparison of oncological outcomes and functional results of different surgical approaches.

Main Results:

• Understanding tumor spread and invasion routes is key to selecting appropriate surgical techniques.
• Mandibular-sparing approaches like marginal mandibulectomy can achieve comparable local control to segmental resections.
• Marginal mandibulectomy offers oncologically safe treatment with improved quality of life in selected patients.

Conclusions:

• Accurate preoperative assessment guides the extent of mandibular resection.
• Mandibular conservation through techniques like marginal mandibulectomy is vital for function and cosmesis.
• Marginal mandibulectomy is an oncologically sound procedure for selected oral squamous cell carcinoma cases, enhancing patient quality of life.