title: Estimation of the width of free margin with a significant impact on local recurrence in surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to estimate the width of free margin with a significant impact on local recurrence in surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Clinical and pathological data of 127 consecutive patients who underwent radical resection of OSCC were analyzed retrospectively. The local control rate was compared between patients with clear, close, and involved surgical margins, changing the required width of free margin for the definition of 'close surgical margin' (from 1 to 5mm). If a free margin of within 1, 2, or 4mm was judged a close margin, the risk of local recurrence was significantly different among the patients with clear, close, and involved surgical margins. If the definition of close margin was within 5mm of the resection margin, the difference between clear and close margin did not reach statistical significance. The results of this study suggest that 5mm of clearance at the surgical resection margin should be the index of oncological surgery. More than 5mm of histological free margin around OSCC is not justified in terms of the risk management of local recurrence and the resultant morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. Electronic address: hkurita@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimane
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamata
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: close margin; free margin; involved margin; local recurrence; margin clearance; surgical margin; surgical resection; tumour clearance