[The value of extemporaneous study of the surgical margins of cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract. Apropos of 129 cases of oral and oropharyngeal tumors].

129 patients, who had oral cavity or oropharyngeal carcinoma underwent excision with intraoperative histopathologic examination. Thanks to this method, the number of satisfying resections has increased from 25% to 75%. Whatever the quality of the surgical excision may be, postoperative radiotherapy improves the prognosis.