title: Postoperative radiation therapy for small, low-/intermediate-grade parotid tumors with close and/or positive surgical margins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with small, low-/intermediate-risk parotid cancers, treated with surgery, and who have the single prognostic factor of close and/or positive margins, constitute an unusual subset. This study evaluates local control and morbidity associated with postoperative radiation therapy for low/intermediate grade parotid cancer in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1999 and 2006, 17 patients underwent postoperative radiation therapy at Beth Israel Medical Center for acinic cell carcinoma or low-intermediate-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid with close/positive margins. Pathology, treatment, and follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed for morbidity and local control. Two- and 5-year estimates of survival outcomes were performed followed by an analysis of complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no local failures and no significant long-term complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with small, low-risk cancer of the parotid gland have excellent local control and low treatment-related morbidity when receiving postoperative radiation therapy for positive or close margins of resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Friedmann
authors.forename: Waleed F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Mourad
authors.forename: Kenneth S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Persky
authors.forename: Louis B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult