Squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa: A 40-year review

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the outcome of surgical therapy for buccal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) at a single tertiary care institution during a 40-year period. Materials and methods: A retrospective review was performed by examining the records and pathology of 48 patients with buccal SCCA treated at a single tertiary care institution from 1970 to 2009. Results: Treatment entailed surgery alone in 18 patients (37.5%) and surgery followed by radiation therapy in 30 patients (62.5%). Composite resection was performed in 17 patients (35.4%), and ipsilateral neck dissections were performed in 37patients (77.1%). One-year observed actuarial disease-free survival rates were 60%, 46%, 0%, and 40% for T1 through T4, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed increased age as a risk factor for disease recurrence (P =.062), with skin taken and neck dissection not achieving significance (P =.24 and.20, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated age as increasing risk and neck dissection as decreasing risk of recurrence (P =.029 and.023, respectively). Conclusions: We report relatively high disease-free survival rates in patients who underwent aggressive resection and neck dissection. Performance of neck dissection and younger age were associated with a favorable prognosis. Performance of neck dissection may decrease the risk of recurrence in primary SCCA of the buccal mucosa. Although through-and-through resection of skin decreased risk of disease recurrence, this difference is not statistically significant (P =.24).