SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF LIP CANCER: A 5 YEAR EXPERIENCE

Lip cancer is a common malignancy of the oral cavity as it accounts for 25% of them and contributes ~ 12% to all tumors of the head and neck region. The most frequent lip carcinomas are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and basosquamous carcinoma (BSC). The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics of tumors, surgical technique, and outcomes after lip cancer surgery performed at the University Clinical Center Niš. We conducted a single institution retrospective study including patients who consecutively underwent surgery for carcinoma of the lip at the Clinic of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Clinical Center Niš, in the 5-year period. A total of 32 patients with lip cancer were included in the study. Nineteen (59%) patients were male and 13 (41%) were female. There were 20 cases of SCC, 11 with BCC and one with BSC. The mean patient age was 73.44 (SD 9.95) at the time of primary examination. Tumors were excised with a minimum surgical margin of 5 mm. Surgical treatment depended on the size of the tumor and its localization. Different surgical techniques were used for reconstructions of the lip defects after tumor removal. Thirty one percent of patients had postoperative complications., There was no recurrence of tumors or tumor related deaths during the follow-up of patients. In patients who had a wider resection of tissue and a more complex reconstruction technique performed, the possibility of occurrence of early postoperative complications is greater.