Marginal mandibulectomy in the surgical treatment of tonsil and retromolar trigone tumours.
Resection of the ascending ramus of the mandible can result in considerable functional and esthetic damage.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the survival rate and local and regional recurrence in marginal and segmental mandibulectomy for advanced tonsil and retromolar trigone tumours with no mandibular invasion. PLACE AND PERIOD: Reference Head & Neck Service, between October 1994 and December 2001.


METHODS
20 stage IV patients undergoing marginal mandibulectomy and 22 undergoing segmental mandibulectomy were compared.


METHODS
a contemporary cross-sectional cohort study.


RESULTS
Of 20 patients undergoing marginal mandibulectomy, 35% died of the disease, 15% due to local recurrence, 15% due to regional recurrence and 5% due to local and regional recurrence. Of 22 patients undergoing segmentary mandibulectomy, 36,4% died of the disease, 31,8% due to local recurrence and 13,6% due to distant recurrence. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a 55% survival rate for the marginal mandibulectomy group, and a 45% survival rate for the segmental group (p= 0.8329).


CONCLUSIONS
Analysis of the two groups showed that conservation of the ascending ramus of the mandible, even in advanced lesions with no mandibular involvement, does not increase the recurrence rate.
Pascoal
Maria Beatriz Nogueira
MB
Departamento de Cirurgia Plástica, USP, São Paulo.
Chagas
José Francisco
JF
Alonso
Nivaldo
N
Aquino
José Luiz
JL
Ferreira
Marcus Castro
MC
Pascoal
Maria Isabel Nogueira
MI
Magna
Luiz A
LA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome