Impact of use of frozen section assessment of operative margins on survival in oral cancer

Objective This study looked at the independent impact of intraoperative frozen section assessment of the adequacy of margins of excision on disease control and survival. Study design The design was a review of outcome of historical cohort of 416 surgically treated oral cancer patients at a comprehensive cancer center. Status of the margins at permanent sections, disease failure at the primary site, and survival data of 229 patients who had frozen sections were compared by univariate and multivariate analysis with 197 patients who did not have frozen sections. Results Failure at the primary site was independently influenced by age at diagnosis (P < .001), T stage (P = .016), N stage (P = .042), and status of margins on paraffin sections (P = .005). Chance of achieving clear margins on paraffin sections was, however, not significantly improved by the use of frozen sections. On multivariate analysis, the use of frozen sections did not independently have an impact on local failure or survival. Conclusions Frozen section assessment of mucosal margins has not improved the disease outcome.