Long-term local control rates of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck managed by surgery and postoperative radiation.
To report long-term local control in patients with adenoid cystic cancer (ACC) of the head and neck managed by surgery and identify factors predictive for local failure.



Single-institution retrospective cohort study.



Eighty-seven patients who had surgery for ACC between 1985 and 2009 were identified. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were recorded. Local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was recorded by the Kaplan-Meier method. Predictors of local control were identified.



The median age was 54 years. Seventy-two (83%) patients had perineural invasion, 61 (70%) had close/positive margins, and 58 (67%) had pT 1T2. Fifty-nine (68%) patients had postoperative radiation therapy (PORT). With a median follow-up of 85 months, the 10-year LRFS was 78.7%. There were 14 local recurrences. On multivariable analysis, pathological tumor (T)3T4 stage and no PORT were independent predictors for local failure. Patients with no PORT had a 13-fold increased risk of local failure compared to patients treated with PORT (P = 0.003) after adjusting for stage.



After adjusting for T stage, patients who do not get PORT are more likely to have local recurrence.



4. Laryngoscope, 127:2265-2269, 2017.
Head and Neck Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Safina
S
Ali
Head and Neck Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Frank L
FL
Palmer
Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Nora
N
Katabi
Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Nancy
N
Lee
Head and Neck Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Jatin P
JP
Shah
Head and Neck Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Snehal G
SG
Patel
Head and Neck Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Ian
0000-0001-7636-5426
I
Ganly
D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011184:Postoperative Period; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Salivary gland; adenoid cystic carcinoma; local recurrence; radiotherapy