Upfront submandibular salivary gland transfer in pharyngeal cancers

Head and neck irradiation results in salivary dysfunction and subsequent xerostomia. Twenty two patients with squamous cancer of oropharynx or hypopharynx underwent contralateral submandibular salivary gland transfer (SMSGT) to submental triangle to shield it from subsequent radiotherapy. Resting salivary outputs of transferred and untransferred gland (control) were measured before and after SMSGT and following radiotherapy, by cannulating individual submandibular duct. They were compared by paired samples t-test. Following radiation therapy transferred gland retained 73% and untransferred gland (control) retained 27% of baseline salivary output. This significant difference in post-radiation salivary outputs suggests preservation of function of transferred salivary gland.