Tumors of the submaxillary gland

Abstract

Study of 128 cases of neoplasms of the submaxillary gland in which operation was performed at the Mayo Clinic from 1936 through 1955 with careful attention to classification of the lesions and comparison of findings in the literature on other salivary tumors yielded the following observations and conclusions. 1. 1. Benign mixed tumor is the most common tumor found in the submaxillary gland. Its predominance, however, is less than in the parotid gland. 2. 2. Cylindroma is the most common malignant tumor in the submaxillary gland and is relatively more common in the submaxillary gland than in the parotid gland. 3. 3. Benign tumors of the submaxillary gland are found in younger patients than are malignant tumors. 4. 4. Benign tumors tend to be smaller, more stationary in size, give less pain and show less tendency to local invasion than do malignant tumors. 5. 5. Both benign and malignant tumors, that later recur, begin at an earlier age than tumors that do not recur. 6. 6. Removal of the entire submaxillary gland with the tumor is the treatment of choice for all benign tumors and well encapsulated malignant tumors. More radical surgical procedures are preferable for locally invasive malignant tumors. 7. 7. Recurrence is rare after surgical treatment of benign tumors of the submaxillary gland. 8. 8. Following adequate surgical treatment, approximately half of the patients with malignant tumors of the submaxillary gland will live five years without evidence of recurrence. 9. 9. Recurrence may develop in patients with cylindroma more than five years postoperatively, but a ten year follow-up without recurrence should be synonomous with cure.