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Squamous cell carcinomas of the lower lip
O Hjortdal1, A Naess, A Berner
1Department of Oral Surgery, Lillehammer County Hospital, Norway.
Summary
Primary resection without biopsy for lower lip lesions is effective. This approach showed no local recurrences and minimal metastasis, suggesting biopsies may not always be necessary for these specific cancerous lesions.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Lower lip lesions require accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- The necessity of pre-operative incisional biopsy for suspected lower lip cancers is debated.
- Primary surgical resection is an alternative management strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of primary resection without prior biopsy for lower lip lesions.
- To assess the impact of avoiding incisional biopsy on local recurrence and metastasis rates.
- To determine if pre-treatment biopsy influences surgical procedure extent.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 30 patients with lower lip lesions over 10 years.
- Patients underwent primary resection without an initial biopsy.
- Continuous follow-up was conducted to monitor outcomes.
Main Results:
- No local recurrences were observed in any of the 30 patients.
- Two patients developed local lymph node metastases.
- Histopathological diagnosis confirmed squamous cell carcinoma in 26 patients, severe epithelial dysplasia in two, and keratoacanthoma in one.
- In 29 cases, a pre-treatment biopsy would not have altered the surgical approach.
Conclusions:
- Primary resection without pre-operative biopsy is a viable treatment option for selected lower lip lesions.
- Avoiding incisional biopsy did not negatively impact local recurrence rates.
- The study supports the potential to streamline the diagnostic and treatment pathway for certain lower lip malignancies.