Abstract
Thirty patients' cases with malignant salivary gland tumors treated at the Shinshu University School of Medicine's Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery over the last 24 years (1965.1989) were reviewed. They were 16 males and 14 females, 11 with major salivary gland tumors (6 parotid gland tumors, 5 submandibular gland tumors) and 19 with minor salivary gland tumors (14 palate tumors, 3 buccal mucosa tumors, l tumor on the floor of the mouth, 1 on the tongue), 24 initial visit and 6 secondary visit patients.
Pathologic diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) was made in 13 patients, of carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma (CPA) in 10, of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MC) in 3, of epidermoid carcinoma (SCC) in 2 and of other types of adenoma in 2. Swelling without pain was the most frequent symptom at the initial visit, other symptoms such as ulcers, pain, induration, trismus and nerve palsy which suggest malignancy of the disease were rare and seen only in the advanced cases. Twenty four cases (80%) were surgically treated; with surgery alone in 16, with radiation in 2, with chemotherapy in 3 and with both in 3.
In 6 secondary visit patients, the duration between inital treatment and the visit to us ranged from 2 to 37 years (mean 12.2 years) . It seems that a long-term follow up is important for malignant salivary gland tumors. In December 1990, 16 patients had survived, 8 had died as a result of their diseases, 2 had died of other diseases, and 4 could not be surveyed. Among the 16 surviving cases, there were 8 with CPA and 6 with ACC; however 3 of ACC patients have had revealed distant metastasis or recurrence.
Therapeutic results were good for CPA and poor for ACC, and better for minor salivary gland tumors than for major salivary gland tumors.
