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. 2024 Apr 12;16(8):1488.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16081488.

A Matter of Margins in Oral Cancer-How Close Is Enough?

Mateusz Szewczyk  1   2 , Jakub Pazdrowski  1   2 , Piotr Pieńkowski  1   2 , Bartosz Wojtera  1   2 , Barbara Więckowska  3 , Paweł Golusiński  4 , Wojciech Golusiński  1   2
Affiliations

A Matter of Margins in Oral Cancer-How Close Is Enough?

Mateusz Szewczyk et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

In patients with oral cancer, the risk factors for local, regional, and distant recurrence according to margin status have not been well established. We aimed to determine the risk factors for recurrence by margin status and to identify a margin cut-off point for improved survival in patients with close margins. We retrospectively reviewed adult patients treated at our centre from 2009 to 2021 for primary oral cancer. Margins were classified as positive (<1 mm), close (1 to 4.9 mm), or clear (>5 mm). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. A total of 326 patients (210 men) were included. The mean age was 59.1 years. Margin status was close (n = 168, 51.5%), clear (n = 83, 25.4%), or positive (n = 75, 23.0%). In the univariate analysis, positive surgical margins (HR = 7.53) had the greatest impact on distant failure. Positive surgical margins-without nodal involvement-had the greatest impact on the risk of distant failure. In the close margin group, the optimal cut-off for disease-free survival (AUC = 0.58) and overall survival (AUC = 0.63) was a deep margin > 3 mm, with survival outcomes that were comparable to the clear margin group. These finding suggest that margins < 5 mm may be sufficient in certain well-defined cases. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Keywords: close margins; margins; oral; oral cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overall survival stratified by margin status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Disease-free survival stratified by margin status.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Disease-free survival stratified by margin status in patients with local recurrence.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Disease-free survival stratified by margin status in patients with regional recurrence.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Disease-free survival stratified by margin status in patients with distant recurrence.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Disease-free survival stratified by margin status, including a smaller (≤3 mm) and larger close margin (>3 mm).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Overall survival stratified by margin status, including a smaller (≤3 mm) and larger close margin (>3 mm).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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