Surgical treatment outcomes of localized squamous carcinoma of buccal mucosa.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to analyze the outcomes after surgical therapy (peroral wide excision) for early squamous carcinoma of the buccal mucosa. METHODS This is a retrospective study of localized squamous carcinoma of the buccal mucosa treated with peroral wide excision at a major tertiary-care hospital. RESULTS A total of 147 consecutive patients were analyzed. One hundred eight patients (73.5%) had no recurrence, whereas 18 (12.2%) had a local recurrence, 11 (7.5%) had regional metastasis, and 10 (6.8%) had locoregional recurrence over a median follow-up of 46 months. Most patients with local recurrences (15 patients, 83.3%) and regional metastases (eight patients, 72%) could be salvaged with treatment. In contrast, only four patients (40%) with locoregional recurrence could be salvaged. Most of the recurrences in this study group occurred within 2 years of primary treatment (29 [74%] of 39 patients). Three-year actuarial overall survival rate and disease-free survival rates were 91% and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Peroral wide excision seems to be an adequate procedure for early squamous carcinoma of buccal mucosa. Histologic grade of the tumor emerged as the only prognostic factor of significance for recurrence in this study.