"Mandibular and facial reconstruction" rehabilitation of the head and neck cancer patient.

Cancer surgery and its reconstruction today can result in functional and cosmetically supportive results for most patients. Today's better understanding of malignant tumor kinetics has evolved preservative and precision extirpative surgery which has on one hand enhanced cure rates and on the other hand has preserved function and appearance in such patients. Today's reconstructive techniques have a sound basis in wound healing and bone regeneration science so as to be predictable and long lasting. We now consistently reconstruct cancer patients with minimal complications and without adding undue deformity and disability. Within just the past ten years the additional advancement of osseointegrated implants has taken functional results related to chewing force and efficiency to a higher level. These implants provide for an optimal return of eating ability to closely match those with natural dentitions. Such implants have also been taken a step further with their application to facial unit restorations. Today facial units with the excellent tissue color and consistency matches made possible by available elastic materials are worn with confidence and comfort by those who require them. The messy and ineffectual adhesives of the past have been discarded. At the time of this writing the hope for the immediate future is the availability of recombinant human BMP. As the next anticipated advance in complete cancer reconstruction it has the potential to regenerate physiologically normal bone without bone grafting. The reduction in morbidity and operating room time would be an enormous step forward, as would the applicability of reconstruction to more people at a reduced cost.