Multimodal treatment of patients with minor salivary gland cancer in the case of recurrent disease

Abstract

Our aim in this study was to identify prognostic factors and the optimal therapeutic management in patients with minor salivary gland carcinomas. Overall and disease-free survival and overall survival after recurrence in patients with adenoidcystic carcinoma (n = 25), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n = 8), adenocarcinoma (n = 5), carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (n = 4), and others (n = 5) were correlated to clinical data. Overall survival correlated to treatment modality (p = .039) and T classification (p = .003), whereas prolonged disease-free interval correlated to treatment (p < .001) and T classification (p = .009). Overall survival after recurrence correlated to treatment of recurrence (p = .006) and initial T classification (p = .02). Multivariate analysis showed that overall survival after recurrence correlated to treatment of recurrence (p = .019) and initial T classification (p = 0.019). T classification was a prognostic factor for overall survival (p = .002) and disease-free interval (p = .002). The initial tumor classification is a clinical predictor for patients' overall and disease-free survival and overall survival after recurrence. Multimodal treatment significantly improves patients' overall survival.