Fifty-two patients treated for salivary gland tumor in our hospital during the past 18 years from 1971 to 1989 were studied in this article.
1. This study included 6 males and 11 females with benign and 15 males and 20 females with malignant, indicating that females have a higher frequency than males.
2. Their mean age was 42.2 years old with benign and 53.2 with malignant, when the diagnosis were made.
3. 17 cases of benign tumors were all plemorphic adenoma. Of malignant tumors, 12 were adenocystic carcinoma, 9 malignant pleomorphic adenoma, 8 mucoepidermoid tumor, 3 acinic cell tumor, 2 squamous cell carcinoma, and one undifferentiated carcinoma.
4. These tumors arose in the major salivary glands in 17 patients (10 submandibular gland, 6 parotid gland, and 1 sublingual gland) and in minor salivary glands in 35 (21 palate, 8 buccal mucosa, 4 retromolar, 1 floor of the mouth, and 1 lip).
5. Swelling was the most common symptom presented. Pain, ulcer, jaw trismus, and sensory nerve disturbance had a much greater frequency in cases of malignant tumors.
6. Treatment result of previously untreated malignant epithelial tumors of the major and minor salivary gland were analysed with respect to stage, treatment modality and histology.
(1) The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 93.8% in stages I and II and 40.5% in stages III and IV. The 10-year cumulative survival rate was 93.8% in stages I and II and 13.5% in stages III and IV.
(2) The treatment modality which included surgery (S, S+C, S+C+R) had better prognosis than chemo and radiotherapy (C+R).
(3) The 5-year and 10-year cumulative survival rates were found to be as follows: mucoepidermoid tumor 85.7% and 71.4%, respectively: adenoid cystic carcinoma both 78.6%: malignant pleomorphic adenoma 62.2% and 46.6% respectively.
