Abstract: Despite the evolution in cancer management and the introduction of multidisciplinary treatment modalities, 5-year overall survival rate of oral cancer remained to be 45-50%. Retrospectively, one patient's prognosis, relapse pattern and survival were determined by clinicopathological parameters. Nevertheless, radical resection with adequate safe margins is crucial for local control in treatment strategy for oral cancer. However, orthogonally muscle orientation of tongue with enriched neurovascular bundles and lymphatic network make it disadvantaged for progressive deep tumor invasion and regional metastasis. Tumor spread along the muscle fibers following the path of least resistance, this thereby reflected the shortcomings of conventional 1-2cm circumferential wide excision. Compartment resection is removal of entire primary lesion along with its entire potential spreading path with an advantage in removing the potential spreading path. Contrary, lymphatic drainage of tongue cancer is outstanding, there is overtly existence of lymphatic vessels and lingual lymph node which occult lymph node metastasis might easily being overshadowed. Routine neck dissection is disadvantaged for unable to reach. Nevertheless, compartmental surgery can overcome it by bringing lingual lymphatic system into surgical field. Compartment resection is more appreciable than conventional 1-2cm wide resection in fulfilling oncological radicality criteria. In summary, we need to explore the characteristic pattern of tumor invasion and metastasis for other subtypes of oral cancer, thereby establishing a location orientated compartment resection, subsequently enhance the radicality of surgical management and strive to improve the survival rate.

Key words: Oral cancer, Tongue cancer, Compartment surgery, Survival rate