ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Pathology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1638833
This article is part of the Research TopicEmerging Trends in Oral Cancer Research: A Focus on Molecular and Clinical AdvancesView all articles
Digital Localization of Intraoperative Samples Enhances Margin Analysis Precision in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Provisionally accepted
Adam Michcik1,2*
Aleksandra Ciarka1,2
Łukasz Garbacewicz1,2
Adam Polcyn1,2
Piotr Choma2
Barbara Wojciechowska1,2Barbara Drogoszewska1,2- 1Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
- 2Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne, Gdańsk, Poland
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Objectives: The intraoperative margin assessment technique enhances local control of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). However, the standard frozen section analysis (FSA) procedure does not allow precise interpretation of the final histopathological results. For this reason, we have developed a modified intraoperative margins (IM) assessment protocol using virtual 3D images of resected OSCC. Material and methods: The pilot study included 10 patients with OSCC located in the floor of the mouth (FOM, n = 3), tongue (TC, n = 2), maxilla (MT, n = 1), and retromolar triangle (RMT, n = 4). After excision, OSCCs were scanned and mapped, marked on the virtual preparation of the IM collection sites. The modified pathological assessment of the IM enabled the evaluation of dimensions, including the width of the collected IM. Results: By analyzing virtual OSCC images, we demonstrated the effectiveness of a modified IM assessment methodology. In one case study, the oncological council disqualified the patient from adjuvant radiotherapy. which accounts for 10% of the pilot group. Conclusion: Leveraging the OSCC's virtual mapping capabilities and the modified IM pathology methodology, we developed an IM evaluation protocol that enables the incorporation of IM width into the OSCC's microscopic excision margin, thereby significantly enhancing the diagnostic value and precision of the final OSCC histopathology results.
Keywords: Frozen section analysis, intraoperative methods, oral cancer, Surgical margin, virtualimaging, cancer local control
Received: 31 May 2025; Accepted: 16 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Michcik, Ciarka, Garbacewicz, Polcyn, Choma, Wojciechowska and Drogoszewska. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Adam Michcik, adammichcik@gumed.edu.pl
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