Mandibular preservation vs. sacrifice following neoadjuvant immunotherapy in locally advanced oral cancer: a comparative study of surgical and quality-of-life outcomes

For select patients with OSCC achieving rCR after NAT, a mandibular preservation strategy is associated with significantly less postoperative complication, improved functional recovery and quality of life, while not compromising short-term oncologic control in this cohort. These findings suggest the feasibility of challenging the paradigm of mandatory mandibular sacrifice in exceptional responders, pending further prospective validation.