An analysis of radiotherapy in the management of 104 patients with parotid carcinoma.

A retrospective analysis was made of 104 patients with parotid carcinoma treated with radical radiotherapy between 1977 and 1986. Eighty-seven patients received postoperative radiotherapy and 17 had radiotherapy alone. The 5- and 10-year survival figures, corrected for intercurrent deaths, were 60% and 49% respectively, with primary control rates of 68% and 58%. Local control was significantly better for patients initially presenting with T1/T2 disease, but local relapse still occurred in 23% of these patients. Of 13 patients with acinic cell tumours, four developed local recurrence and a further two had metastatic disease. These patterns of relapse suggest that patients with parotid carcinoma should receive postoperative radiotherapy irrespective of disease stage or histological type.