Treatment of Maxillary Gingival Cancer Without Invasion of the Underlying Bone
This protocol addresses a specific presentation of gingival cancer arising on the maxillary gingiva in which the tumour remains confined to the mucosa or periosteum and does not invade the underlying bone.
Clinical Scenario
Gingival cancer of the maxillary gingiva without invasion of the underlying bone. Superficial erosion of the bone or tooth socket alone is not sufficient to classify the tumour as T4; bone invasion is required for that designation. Small lesions meeting this criterion are uncommon but represent a distinct surgical subset.
Surgical Approach (Partial Summary)
For lesions without bone invasion, a limited resection confined to the soft tissue — without removal of bone — is the recommended first-line surgical strategy.
Complete regimen details, criteria, and procedural specifics are available in the full structured protocol →
Primary Surgical Goal
Achieve a clear surgical margin of at least 5 mm on final pathology.
References
DOI: 10.21053/ceo.2018.01816
- Superficial erosion of the bone or tooth socket in gingival cancer is not sufficient to classify the tumor as T4, but gingival cancer that invades the underlying bone is designated as T4.
- However, one systematic review suggested that small lesions without bone invasion are rare, but can be treated with only mucosal or periosteal resection.
- (A) Mucosal/periosteal resection is recommended primarily for lesions without bone invasion (strong recommendation, low-quality evidence).
- Such studies have suggested that a margin of ≥5 mm on final pathology was adequate.
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