Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique

Abstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally. Patient survival varies depending on tumour stage and oral cavity subsites. Buccal mucosa neoplasia is rare and burdened by worse prognosis than other oral subsites, showing a high rate of loco-regional...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rita De Berardinis, Marta Tagliabue, Francesco Chu, Fausto Maffini, Daniela Lepanto, Nicola Fusco, Roberto Bruschini, Gioacchino Giugliano, Stefano Riccio, Mohssen Ansarin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:World Journal of Surgical Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-03656-x
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849772405548908544
author Rita De Berardinis
Marta Tagliabue
Francesco Chu
Fausto Maffini
Daniela Lepanto
Nicola Fusco
Roberto Bruschini
Gioacchino Giugliano
Stefano Riccio
Mohssen Ansarin
author_facet Rita De Berardinis
Marta Tagliabue
Francesco Chu
Fausto Maffini
Daniela Lepanto
Nicola Fusco
Roberto Bruschini
Gioacchino Giugliano
Stefano Riccio
Mohssen Ansarin
author_sort Rita De Berardinis
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally. Patient survival varies depending on tumour stage and oral cavity subsites. Buccal mucosa neoplasia is rare and burdened by worse prognosis than other oral subsites, showing a high rate of loco-regional relapses within six months after treatment. According to NCCN guidelines, the gold standard treatment is radical surgery. In the oral cavity, the buccal mucosa subsite lacks anatomical barriers opposing neoplastic growth. At this level, the tumour cells could hypothetically spread along the fibres of the platysma muscle or the lymphatic networks of the peri-facial vessels without encountering any resistance. Due to the aggressive locoregional spread, radical surgery is mandatory to improve patient survival. Methods This technical note describes the cheek compartmental surgical approach step by step. For intermediate-advanced stage cancer, the surgery should include the resection of the tumour with adequate free margins, the dissection of neck lymph nodes and the lymphatic network with the structures between the tumour (T) and the neck (N), the so-called “T-N tract”. The buccal mucosa compartment may be defined as a three-dimensional space between the oral cavity mucosa, the vessel plane, and the lymph nodes of the neck (levels I-IV). These structures, connected by the platysma muscle and the facial vessels, may be considered the T-N tract of the mucosal cheek compartment. Results By removing all the possible pathways of tumour spread via compartmental surgery (en-bloc resection of the tumour with T-N tract and lymphatic network and lymph nodes) for buccal mucosa cancers, one could provide better locoregional control of disease in intermediate-advanced stages. Conclusion This surgical technique may enable a more accurate control of the surgical margins, especially the deep margins.
format Article
id doaj-art-05db2751c8134d71ac87d23e77cb475d
institution DOAJ
issn 1477-7819
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series World Journal of Surgical Oncology
spelling doaj-art-05db2751c8134d71ac87d23e77cb475d2025-08-20T03:02:19ZengBMCWorld Journal of Surgical Oncology1477-78192025-03-0123111110.1186/s12957-025-03656-xCompartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical techniqueRita De Berardinis0Marta Tagliabue1Francesco Chu2Fausto Maffini3Daniela Lepanto4Nicola Fusco5Roberto Bruschini6Gioacchino Giugliano7Stefano Riccio8Mohssen Ansarin9Division of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Pathology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Pathology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Pathology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSDivision of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCSAbstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally. Patient survival varies depending on tumour stage and oral cavity subsites. Buccal mucosa neoplasia is rare and burdened by worse prognosis than other oral subsites, showing a high rate of loco-regional relapses within six months after treatment. According to NCCN guidelines, the gold standard treatment is radical surgery. In the oral cavity, the buccal mucosa subsite lacks anatomical barriers opposing neoplastic growth. At this level, the tumour cells could hypothetically spread along the fibres of the platysma muscle or the lymphatic networks of the peri-facial vessels without encountering any resistance. Due to the aggressive locoregional spread, radical surgery is mandatory to improve patient survival. Methods This technical note describes the cheek compartmental surgical approach step by step. For intermediate-advanced stage cancer, the surgery should include the resection of the tumour with adequate free margins, the dissection of neck lymph nodes and the lymphatic network with the structures between the tumour (T) and the neck (N), the so-called “T-N tract”. The buccal mucosa compartment may be defined as a three-dimensional space between the oral cavity mucosa, the vessel plane, and the lymph nodes of the neck (levels I-IV). These structures, connected by the platysma muscle and the facial vessels, may be considered the T-N tract of the mucosal cheek compartment. Results By removing all the possible pathways of tumour spread via compartmental surgery (en-bloc resection of the tumour with T-N tract and lymphatic network and lymph nodes) for buccal mucosa cancers, one could provide better locoregional control of disease in intermediate-advanced stages. Conclusion This surgical technique may enable a more accurate control of the surgical margins, especially the deep margins.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-03656-xBuccal mucosa squamous cell carcinomaBuccal mucosaMucosal cheekCompartmental surgeryOral squamous cell carcinoma
spellingShingle Rita De Berardinis
Marta Tagliabue
Francesco Chu
Fausto Maffini
Daniela Lepanto
Nicola Fusco
Roberto Bruschini
Gioacchino Giugliano
Stefano Riccio
Mohssen Ansarin
Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique
World Journal of Surgical Oncology
Buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma
Buccal mucosa
Mucosal cheek
Compartmental surgery
Oral squamous cell carcinoma
title Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique
title_full Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique
title_fullStr Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique
title_full_unstemmed Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique
title_short Compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: description of a new surgical technique
title_sort compartmental surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa description of a new surgical technique
topic Buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma
Buccal mucosa
Mucosal cheek
Compartmental surgery
Oral squamous cell carcinoma
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-03656-x
work_keys_str_mv AT ritadeberardinis compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT martatagliabue compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT francescochu compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT faustomaffini compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT danielalepanto compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT nicolafusco compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT robertobruschini compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT gioacchinogiugliano compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT stefanoriccio compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique
AT mohssenansarin compartmentalsurgeryforsquamouscellcarcinomaofthebuccalmucosadescriptionofanewsurgicaltechnique