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Intraoperative Assessment of Resection Margins in Oral Cavity Cancer: This is the Way
Published on: May 10, 2021
How much is enough? Defining the critical resection margin in myxofibrosarcoma
Christoph Wallner1, Marius Drysch2, Felix Reinkemeier2
1Clinic for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Ruhr- University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, Bochum, 44789, Germany. c.wallner88@gmail.com.
World Journal of Surgical Oncology
|May 12, 2026
Summary
Achieving negative resection margins (R0) is crucial for myxofibrosarcoma treatment. While very close margins may indicate higher recurrence risk, R0 status and anatomical barriers are key for adequacy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
- Sarcoma Research
Background:
- Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) exhibits aggressive infiltrative growth and high local recurrence (LR) rates.
- The prognostic impact of quantitative margin width, beyond achieving negative margins (R0), is not well-defined for MFS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prognostic significance of quantitative resection margin width in myxofibrosarcoma.
- To determine if a specific margin width threshold, beyond R0, impacts local recurrence risk.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 94 myxofibrosarcoma patients treated between 2000-2023.
- Utilized descriptive stratification, exploratory threshold scanning with multiplicity correction, and computational approaches.
- Analyzed resection margins, recurrence patterns, and treatment variables.
Main Results:
- Local recurrence observed in 33% of patients.
- Exploratory analysis suggested a potential risk signal near 0.3 mm margins, but this was not consistently significant after correction.
- Radiotherapy showed a trend towards lower recurrence, though not statistically significant and subject to confounding.
Conclusions:
- Very close resection margins may identify a higher-risk group for local recurrence in myxofibrosarcoma.
- R0 status and anatomical barrier quality are primary determinants of margin adequacy.
- Prospective, multicenter validation is necessary to establish definitive margin guidelines.
