This retrospective non-randomixed 10-year follow-up study compared 147 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity requiring hemimandibulectomy, treated by surgical resection, therapeutic neck dissection and radiotherapy. The 5-year survival rates were compared related to localization, size of tumour, infiltration of locoregional lymph nodes, distant metastases, histopathological grading, radicality of surgery, and invasion of tumour into the madible.
Occurrence of tumour relapse and its localization was studied. The mean 5-year survival rate was 26%.
Patients with SCC of the mandibular alveolar process had higher rates; the lowest rates occurred in SCC of the buccal mucosa. Survival rate was significantly lower with insufficient resection of the tumour (85% relapse).
An important number of patients with radical resection died within 3 months of surgery. In almost 55% of the mandibles tumour was not present.