ANALYSIS OF TUMOR MARGIN SHRINKAGE IN THE RESECTED SPECIMEN OF SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the head and neck region, particularly in developing countries. Achieving clear surgical margins is critical for minimizing recurrence and reducing the need for adjuvant therapy. However, discrepancies between intraoperative and nal histopathological margins are frequently observed due to margin shrinkage. This study aimed to assess the extent and pattern of surgical margin shrinkage in OSCC across different stages of tissue handling. A prospecti Methods: ve crosssectional study was conducted on 100 patients with biopsyproven OSCC undergoing surgical resection. Tumor margins were measured at three stages: pre-incision (in-vivo), post-resection (in-vitro), and post-formalin xation. Shrinkage was calculated between each stage, and associations with clinicopathological variables, such as tumor site and neoadjuvant therapy, were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The mean surgical margin reduced from 10 mm pre-inci Results: sion to 8.03 mm postresection and 7.4 mm post-xation, with an average total shrinkage of 2.6 mm (26%). The greatest shrinkage occurred intraoperatively (1.96 mm), with minimal change post-xation (0.63 mm). Margin shrinkage was more pronounced in tongue lesions (71.4%) and in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy (61.1%). There is surgical margin shri Conclusion: nkage occurs in OSCC, primarily during the intraoperative phase. Surgeons should consider this contraction, especially in post-neoadjuvant cases and tongue cancers, to ensure adequate resection and avoid unnecessary adjuvant treatment. Accounting for shrinkage can enhance surgical precision and improve oncological outcomes.