The efficacy of postoperative radiation therapy in patients with carcinoma of the buccal mucosa and lower alveolus with positive surgical margins

PURPOSE: A retrospective analysis to determine the efficacy of postoperative radiation therapy, in patients of carcinoma of the buccal mucosa and lower alveolus with pathologically verified positive surgical margins (PSM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-four patients were analysed, who underwent surgery plus postoperative radiation therapy. Twenty-nine patients (31%) had PSM. Other pathological factors like nodal stage, number of nodes, bone involvement etc. were also analysed. RESULTS: Disease free survival (DFS) of patients with a PSM was significantly worse when compared with those with negative surgical margins (NSM). Poor DFS was also observed for variables like nodal stage, number of nodes and extranodal extension and radiation dose. In multivariate analysis only two variables showed significant impact on DFS, those were surgical margins and number of nodes. CONCLUSION: To conclude in our study median dose of 60 Gy in PSM patients was not able to improve DFS and showed poor results as compared with NSM patients. There is also evidence from other studies, to suggest that post-operative radiation doses upto 60 Gy may not be sufficient to overcome this poor prognostic factor. To overcome this poor prognostic group patients, we in our institution are now employing radiation dose intensification and altered fractionation in an effort to imrove our results. In physically fit patients we are trying to administer concomitant chemotherapy along with radiation treatment.