Locoregional recurrence rate and disease‐specific survival following marginal vs segmental resection for oral squamous cell carcinoma with mandibular bone invasion

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To determine locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) following marginal vs segmental mandibulectomy. METHODS: Included were 210 patients, who had marginal or segmental mandibulectomy between 2000 and 2017. Marginal resection was performed when complete removal of the tumor was deemed feasible on the condition that at least 1 cm bone height of the inferior border of the mandible could be preserved. Segmental resection was performed in case less than 1 cm bone height of the mandible would remain. Clinical and histopathological data were collected from medical records. LRR and DSS were computed using Kaplan‐Meier analysis. Cox‐regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for LRR and DSS. RESULTS: A total of 59 marginal and 151 segmental resections had been performed. There was no significant difference in 3‐ and 5‐year LRR (P = .904) and no significant difference in 3‐ and 5‐year DSS (P = .362) between the marginal and segmental resection group. Cox‐regression analysis showed a trend for surgical margin less than equal to 1 mm, to affect LRR (P = .05) and surgical margin less than equal 1 mm, perineural invasion and lymph node metastasis to affect DSS (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in outcome between the two types of mandibulectomy.