Radiation therapy in the treatment of malignant salivary gland tumors.

A retrospective analysis of 52 patients with malignant salivary gland tumors is reported. Seventeen patients received early postoperative radiation therapy and 16 (94%) were free of local or regional disease 2-14 years following initiation of therapy, although 14 were considered at high risk of developing local recurrence. Two subjects (12%) developed distant metastases and 14 (82%) were completely disease-free. Survival and disease-free status of patients treated for recurrent or inoperable disease were much worse with two of 13 disease-free at 45 and 168 months respectively. Various workers have reported recurrence rates after surgery along at 25-38% and over 50% for many histological types. On the basis of this report early postoperative radiation therapy is recommended to reduce the risk of postsurgical recurrence. Prognostic trends relating to both histological type and location of primary disease are discussed.