The Mandible Sparing "POSC Technique" for Management of Middle and Posterior Third Tongue Cancers

Cancer of the tongue forms more than 50% of oral cavity cancers. Generally, patients come with locally advanced tongue cancer. The treatment for this cancer is multi-modality. For resectable cancer, multiple surgical approaches are described in the literature. Mandibulotomy for resection of the middle and posterior third oral cancer is a well-established technique but it has its attended morbidity. We present our results of a new surgical technique, called the Peroral and submandibular cervical surgical approach wherein tongue cancer of middle third and posterior third is resected without mandibulotomy. The advantages of this technique are that the complications of malunion or non-union of bone are avoided, no chances of osteoradionecrosis or osteomyelitis, no need of periosteal elevation or damage, the malignancy is removed with wide margin with minimal blood loss, there is no scar on face or chin, morbidity of surgery is minimal. Also, the technique is easily reproducible.