Mandible preservation in the treatment of cancer of the floor of the mouth.

A segmental anterior mandibulectomy causes severe functional disability and cosmetic problems. Many methods of reconstruction have been used but none of these procedures provides the ideal solution. There has been increasing interest in the possibility of preserving a portion of the anterior mandibular arch and still carrying out an adequate surgical excision to control the primary tumor. Over a 15-year period, 251 patients with cancer of the floor of mouth were seen and treated at Roswell Park Memorial Institute. Of this group, 34 patients underwent a marginal mandibular resection as part of their curative surgical treatment. The complication rate was acceptable and the 5-year determinate survival rate was 84%. The local control rate was excellent with only one patient developing an intraoral recurrence which was successfully treated with radiation. It is felt that these data support the theory that conservative mandibular surgery can be carried out in selected cases without jeopardizing the concept of a good cancer operation.