Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the major and minor salivary glands. A clinicopathological study of 17 cases.
Local recurrence and distant metastasis were studied in relation to treatment modality and histological findings in 17 patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the major and minor salivary glands. Fifteen patients underwent surgical resection with or without postoperative irradiation and the others were treated by irradiation alone. Local recurrence developed in nine patients (52.9%), mostly within two years of the treatment. Incomplete removal was the major reason for the failure to control the primary lesion. Postoperative irradiation was of value in preventing recurrence in patients who demonstrated microscopic residual disease at the surgical margins, whereas it was not effective if gross residual tumour was recognized. Direct surgical intervention on the tumour tissue could have been the possible cause for the distant metastasis that developed in 10 (58.8%) of the 17 patients. Surgical excision with a wider safety margin than the visibly affected area, followed by postoperative irradiation and chemotherapy was essential to obtain a better prognosis.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology
D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes