Treatment of buccal mucosal carcinomas: A survey amongst head and neck surgeons in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE: Currently, there is no up‐to‐date guideline for the treatment of buccal mucosal squamous cell carcinoma (BMSCC) in the Netherlands. A questionnaire was used to investigate the opinions of Dutch head and neck surgeons on BMSCC of the cheek treatment. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all 91 head and neck surgeons in the Netherlands. Their opinions on surgical tumor‐free margins, through‐and‐through defects, and indications for local adjuvant therapy were questioned. RESULTS: The response rate was 51%. To prevent a through‐and‐through defect, 67% of the surgeons would accept a deep clinical (macroscopic) margin of ≤5 mm. The less adverse histological characteristics a tumor has, the less consensus there is amongst the surgeons for local adjuvant treatment in case of close margins. CONCLUSION: There is no consensus amongst Dutch head and neck surgeons about the optimal treatment for BMSCC of the cheek. There are different opinions on acceptable resection margins, indications for a through‐and‐through defect, and indications for adjuvant treatment. BMSCC of the cheek treatment should be more uniform and less surgeon dependent. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A