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Modifying and extending Bernard's method Fries (1971) developed a universal technique for reconstructive surgery of the lip after tumour resection. So far this technique has been employed in 80 cases, 50 of which were available for follow-up studies. Cosmetic results were invariably found to be optimal. Functional deficits were predominantly associated with whistling and pouting, while eating, speaking and laughing were unimpaired.

The prognostic significance of primary tumour site in carcinomas of the oral cavity was investigated in a series of 585 cases. For the subsamples (levels and areas of oral cavity) studied, the numerical distribution of TNM categories, life tables and life table comparisons were computed. This produced the following results: Given an identical extension and analogous metastazising rate, there is no computationally demonstrable difference in prognosis between primary tumours sited at different levels and areas of the oral cavity. The exception are the T1Nx categories, for which a difference exists between precanine and retromolar sites. These results should be re-examined on the basis of a larger series.