Introduction: Resection of oral cancer is a surgical intervention involving the removal of the cancer in order to restore oral health and function, aiming to preserve aesthetics and maintain quality of life for the patient. Given the complexity and critical nature of oral cavity resections, effective communication and documentation and well-structured reports are paramount.
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) are the two most commonly used standardised guidelines for reporting oral cavity resections and serve as an essential tool for conveying crucial information among multidisciplinary teams, guiding postoperative care, and facilitating long-term patient management.
Objective: To enumerate and highlight the data elements in the reporting of oral cancer resection specimens in CAP versus RCPath.
Methodology: Different components of the included protocols as per CAP (June 2023) and RCPath (October 2023) will be discussed.
Results: New areas or columns of emphasis in reporting as per CAP and RCPath guidelines will be highlighted.
Conclusion: Every oral pathologist should be aware of, and from time to time updated on, the reporting of oral cancer resections in order to establish uniform data and a standardized way of reporting worldwide.
Keywords: CAP guidelines, RCPATH guidelines, oral cancer, resection margins
