Salivary duct carcinoma: clinical characteristics and treatment strategies.
BACKGROUND
Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a highly malignant tumor of the salivary gland.


METHODS
Twenty-six cases observed during the period 1975 to 1994 were selected from the pathology archives of the Instituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan. A review of all the similar cases published in the literature and comparison with the present series was performed.


RESULTS
SDC was mainly a parotid gland tumor diagnosed at an advanced stage. Lymphatic involvement seems to be related to T stage. Distant spread was evidently related to the presence of lymph node metastasis. Surgery with radiotherapy was the standard treatment. The only demonstrable negative prognostic factor was the presence of node metastases (p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Most patients died of disseminated disease in spite of an aggressive and often successful local-regional treatment. The role of a prophylactic ipsilateral neck dissection and adjunctive systemic treatment should be investigated.
Guzzo
M
M
Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Otolaryngology, Instituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Di Palma
S
S
Grandi
C
C
Molinari
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000473:pathology; D013365:Submandibular Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate