Oral medicine and oral cancer: commando operation: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: commando operation

Sample item

A patient with carcinoma of the floor of the mouth infiltrating the adjacent mandible is planned for a commando operation. Which components does this operation include?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Resection of the primary, a segment of mandible and neck dissection in continuity

The commando operation is a composite resection: the intraoral tumour, the involved part of the mandible and the cervical lymph nodes are removed en bloc. It is used when bone is invaded or the tumour is fixed to the mandible. Reconstruction is then needed.

Option by option

  • A. Wide local excision of the primary alone

    Wide excision alone leaves the invaded bone and nodal basin untreated.

  • B. Radical neck dissection without resection of the primary

    Neck dissection without removing the primary does not control the local disease.

  • C. Resection of the primary, a segment of mandible and neck dissection in continuity (correct)

    Correct. It is an en bloc composite resection of tumour, mandible and neck.

  • D. Hemiglossectomy with preservation of the mandible

    Preserving the mandible is not possible when the bone is involved by tumour.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is C, Resection of the primary, a segment of mandible and neck dissection in continuity. The commando operation is a composite resection: the intraoral tumour, the involved part of the mandible and the cervical lymph nodes are removed en bloc.

Why is "Wide local excision of the primary alone" not the answer?

Wide excision alone leaves the invaded bone and nodal basin untreated.

Why is "Radical neck dissection without resection of the primary" not the answer?

Neck dissection without removing the primary does not control the local disease.

Why is "Hemiglossectomy with preservation of the mandible" not the answer?

Preserving the mandible is not possible when the bone is involved by tumour.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: commando operation in Dentistry. It is used when bone is invaded or the tumour is fixed to the mandible. Reconstruction is then needed.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: commando operation?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.