Minor salivary gland tumors of the head and neck: treatment strategies and prognosis.

Between 1961 and 1985, 117 patients with malignant tumors of the minor salivary glands of the upper aerodigestive tract were treated with curative intent at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The length of follow-up ranged from 24-225 months, with a median of 38 months. The most common site of origin was the oral cavity (65 cases), and the most common histology was adenoid cystic carcinoma (69 cases). Tumor size, histology, and site were important prognostic factors. For oral cavity lesions, small tumors were well controlled with resection alone (25 of 26) or local excision, followed by irradiation (7 of 7). For advanced tumors arising from the paranasal sinuses and pharynx, the control rates were 43% (15 of 35) and 29% (5 of 17), respectively. Ninety-three percent (27 of 29) of patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma had no evidence of disease at last follow-up versus 55% (38 of 69) of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma and 56% (10 of 18) of those with adenocarcinoma. It appears that resection with good margin is adequate treatment for small lesions. Large, poorly differentiated tumors require a combined approach: surgery and radiation therapy.