How often is cancer present in oral cavity re-resections after initial positive margins?
The Laryngoscope, 2024
This retrospective chart review investigates the impact on oncologic outcomes of oral cavity cancer being present upon re-resection. Among 1873 patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for oral cavity cancer, 10% had initial positive margins and underwent re-resection during surgery. Notably, 29% of re-resections revealed additional carcinoma, carcinoma in situ, or severe dysplasia, and 31% of patients with initial positive margins retained final positive margins, with half showing positive margins at a different anatomical site than the initial positive margin. Worse overall survival was associated with re-resection involving cancer and final positive margin status. Age, T4 disease, and recurrent oral cavity cancer surgery emerged as independent predictors of overall survival. Since fewer than a third of oral cavity re-resections contain further malignancy, our results suggest that surgeons might have difficulty relocating the site of the initial positive margin.
Recommended citation: Prasad K, Sharma R, Habib D, Sinard R, Mannion K, Rohde S, Langerman A, Netterville J, Rosenthal E, Lewis J, Topf MC. How often is cancer present in oral cavity re-resections after initial positive margins? Laryngoscope. 2024;134(2)717-724. doi:10.1002/lary.30959