Surgical management of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip: analysis of a 10-year experience in 223 patients

Abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts

Abstract

Outcomes were largely favourable and metastasis was rare.

Main

Vukadinovic M, Jezdic Z et al. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2007; 65: 675–679

For lip squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) smaller than 2 cm, the cure rate is around 90%, but where lymph node metastasis develops, this reduces to below 50%. In a Belgrade hospital from 1991-2000, 223 patients were treated for SCC of the lip. In 48%, there was a history of chronic sun exposure, and in 59%, past or present smoking.

Tumour stage 1 accounted for 90% of SCCs. Palpable nodes were present in 27% of patients, all of whom received neck dissections. Of these, 85% had histological metastases. Several different techniques were used for lip defect reconstruction. In 10 patients, regional metastases developed within a 56 month follow-up; 5 of these patients died. The authors emphasise the need for a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.