UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Methods: Prospective study of 25 oral cancer patients underwent 3D-CT scanning and panorex as their preoperative assessment of mandibular involvement. After proper clinical evaluation of the disease status, all patients have undergone either marginal / segmental / hemimandibulectomy as part of their surgical treatment. Finally 3D-CT and Panorex data were correlated with histopathological findings as histopathology has been taken as the gold standard.

Results: The 3D-CT scanning demonstrated the highest sensitivity (90.9%) in comparison to 45.45% with panorex in assessment of mandibular invasion. 3D-CT scan could predict mandibular involvement in ten out of eleven patients with histopathologically positive involvement of mandible. Five patients who were not detected by panorex have been shown of mandibular involvement by 3D-CT scan with preoperative evaluation. 3D-CT scan have highest negative predictive value of 87.5% and that's why more effectively ruled out disease absence than other modalities of investigations. This scan picked up all mandibular invasions in Retro Molar Trigone area tumors that were missed in panorex. Preoperative 3D-CT is highly sensitive investigative modality to diagnose mandibular invasion and it efficiently rules out the disease absence in mandible. The more careful and vigilant pathological grossing with guide of this imaging can improve the accuracy of the diagnosis and stage of the disease.