Adequacy of Surgery of Head and Neck Cancers

Tooba Ather; Ghulam Haider; Asra Taj; Khalil Mehar; Maliha  Ashfaq; Sana Sehar

doi:10.51253/pafmj.v74i2.6261

Authors

Tooba Ather Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi Pakistan
Ghulam Haider Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi Pakistan
Asra Taj Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi Pakistan
Khalil Mehar Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi Pakistan
Maliha Ashfaq Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi Pakistan
Sana Sehar Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v74i2.6261

Keywords:

Adequate surgery, Adequate margins, Carcinomas, Head and neck cancers, Perineural invasion

Abstract

Objective: To assess the proportion of adequate surgery in head and neck cancers.

Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study.

Place and Duration of Study: Medical Oncology Department, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2020.

Methodology: One fifty-nine patients aged over 20-65 years, of either gender with a confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the Head and neck were included. Surgery was performed upfront in all patients without any preoperative/ induction chemotherapy. Data regarding socio-demographic and histopathology findings were noted. Surgery was labelled as inadequate when the number of resected lymph nodes recovered was less than 36, and the margins of the tumour were <5 mm (inadequate).

Results: Of 159 patients, the average age was 46.57±9.73 years. Less than 36 lymph nodes were recovered in 84 patients (52.8%) after neck dissection. A total of 64 patients had inadequate margins (40.3%), 77 had adequate margins (48.4%), and 18 had positive margins (11.3%) on histopathological examination. Overall, 56 patients had adequate surgery (35.2%), and 103 had inadequate surgery (64.7%).

Conclusion: More than half of the patients with Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma had inadequate surgery. Hence, inadequate surgery can lead to poor loco-regional disease control, increased chances of recurrence and overall poor prognosis.

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