title: Parotid small cell carcinoma presenting with long-term survival after surgery alone: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary involvement of the salivary glands in small cell carcinoma is rare, and has one of the worst prognoses of salivary gland neoplasms. However, it has been reported that some cases have a favorable outcome, although the prognostic factors are still under consideration. Multidisciplinary therapy was usually required to achieve long-term survival. Recently, a resemblance of some small cell carcinomas of the salivary gland to cutaneous Merkel cell carcinoma was suggested; the latter have the potential for spontaneous regression, which is related to a favorable clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a locoregional advanced parotid small cell carcinoma with multiple lymph node metastases in an 87-year-old Asian woman. The tumor was controlled by surgery alone, and nine-year disease-free survival was achieved without any adjunctive therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest reported follow-up of head and neck small cell carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe this to be the first case of small cell carcinoma with involvement of the salivary glands reported in the literature with a good outcome after surgery alone without any adjunctive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, 3311-1, Shimotsuke, 329-0498, Japan. kanatake@omiya.jichi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takeharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: Noriyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Juntaro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shiba
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mineta
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichimura