Carcinoma of the buccal mucosa.

OBJECTIVE The goal was to analyze the outcome of surgical therapy for buccal carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective chart review was done. SETTING The study took place in a major tertiary-care hospital. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients received first-time surgical therapy for buccal carcinoma. Treatment was surgery alone in 15 and surgery followed by radiation therapy in 6 patients. Six additional patients received surgical salvage for radiation therapy failure. Composite resection of the tumor was performed in 16 patients (59%). Five-year observed actuarial survival rates were 100%, 45%, 67%, and 78%, and locoregional recurrence rates were 0%, 27%, 44%, and 0% for stages I to IV, respectively. The 5-year actuarial survival rates were 80% after surgery and 82% after surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. Patients who underwent surgical salvage after radiation therapy failure had a 1-year survival rate of 0%. CONCLUSION Aggressive surgical treatment of buccal carcinoma may result in better survival rates. SIGNIFICANCE The article analyzes buccal carcinoma in regards to the patterns of presentation, treatments rendered, and patterns of failure.