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Postoperative radiation therapy for major salivary gland malignancies
Author(s) -
Harrison Louis B.,
Armstrong John G.,
Spiro Ronald H.,
Fass Daniel E.,
Strong Elliot W.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930450112
Subject(s) - medicine , histology , radiation therapy , adenoid , salivary gland , adenoid cystic carcinoma , surgery , salivary gland cancer , carcinoma
Between 1966 and 1982 there have been 46 patients treated with surgery plus post‐operative radiation therapy for malignant tumors of salivary gland origin. The indication(s) for radiotherapy included positive margins (42%), advanced local tumor (37%), positive nodes (33%), or high grade histology (48%). Overall actuarial local control at 5 years was 73%, being 100% for T 1 , 83% for T 2 , 80% for T 3 , and 43% for T 4 . Actuarial survival at 5 years was 80% for T 1 , 83% for T 2 60% for T 3 and 48% for T 4 . Patients with positive nodes (N+) did worse than those with negative nodes (No), with locoregional control and survival at 5 years being 58% vs. 83%, ( P =0.025) and 38% vs. 80% ( P =<.01), respectively. We found no need for contralateral neck treatment even for those with positive nodes. Also, to date, none of eight patients with adenoid cystic histology has failed locally, as opposed to three of eight failures in patients treated with surgery alone. We believe that post‐operative irradiation provides excellent locoregional control for appropriate patients with malignant tumors of major salivary glands.