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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Retroductal Submandibular Gland Instillation and Localized Fractionated Irradiation in a Rat Model of Salivary Hypofunction
Published on: April 24, 2016
Recurrent salivary gland carcinomas treated by surgery with or without intraoperative radiation therapy
Allen M Chen1, Joaquin Garcia, M Kara Bucci
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
Background:
The optimal treatment for patients with locally recurrent carcinomas of the salivary glands is unclear.
Methods:
Ninety-nine patients underwent salvage surgery for locally recurrent salivary gland carcinomas. Eighty-one (82%) had previously received radiation. Thirty-seven patients (37%) received intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) to a median dose of 15 Gy (range, 12-18 Gy) at the time of salvage.
Results:
The 1-, 3-, and 5-year estimates of local control after salvage surgery were 88%, 75%, and 69%, respectively. A Cox proportional hazard model identified positive margins (0.01) and the omission of IORT (p = .001) as independent predictors of local failure. The 5-year overall survival was 34%. Distant metastasis was the most common site of subsequent failure, occurring in 42% of patients.
Conclusions:
IORT significantly improves disease control for patients with locally recurrent carcinomas of the salivary glands. The high rate of distant metastasis emphasizes the need for effective systemic therapies.
