Introduction:Oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy in the world, and the third most common in southeast Asia. Cancers of the upper gingivo-buccal complex are uncommon and reported infrequently. In this article, we have assessed the clinicopathological features of such cancers and their optimal management.Materials and Methods:We studied 64 patients with cancer of the upper gingivobuccal sulcus (GBS), hard palate, and maxilla seen between February 2009 and 2013 over a span of 4 years.Results:Of the 64 patients studied, 45 were male. The mean age at presentation was 50.59 years (24-80 years). Of the 64, 48 patients (75%) had a history of substance abuse in the form of tobacco chewing, smoking or alcohol. On presentation, 48 of the 64 patients (75%) had T4 disease, eight had T3, six had T2 lesion, one had T1 lesion, and 1 patient had a neck recurrence with distant metastatic disease (Tx). Out of the 64 patients, 31 had clinically palpable neck disease and two patients had distant metastatic disease. Of the 64 patients, 58 had squamous cell carcinoma, two had adenoid cystic carcinoma of the hard palate and one patient each had melanoma, sarcoma, neuroendocrine tumor, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Following imaging, 18 patients (28.13%) underwent upfront surgery and six following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. 14 of the 24 patients operated had simultaneous neck dissection. 2 patients with distant metastasis and 1 with cavernous sinus thrombosis received palliative chemotherapy. Out of the 64 patients, the other 24 who were inoperable were referred to radiotherapy.Conclusion:Upper GBS, hard palate and maxilla cancers are uncommon and are diagnosed at an advanced stage due to delay in presentation and ignorance of our population. Surgery offers the best form of treatment. NACT may be tried to downstage the disease in selected patients with borderline operable disease. However, generous margins should be taken post chemotherapy with concomitant neck dissection. Adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended in selected patients after surgery.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.