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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Radiation Treatment of Organotypic Cultures from Submandibular and Parotid Salivary Glands Models Key In Vivo Characteristics
Published on: May 17, 2019
Response to paclitaxel in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands
Brian G Till1, Renato G Martins
1Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N., D3-190, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA. tillb@fhcrc.org
Background:
Paclitaxel is not considered to be an active drug in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the salivary glands. We report 2 consecutive cases of patients with ACC who responded to paclitaxel.
Methods:
The patients were: (1) a 58-year-old man with recurrent ACC who developed pulmonary metastases, had progressive disease after a good response to first-line chemotherapy, and then achieved a partial response to weekly single- agent paclitaxel; and (2) a 46-year-old woman with extensive thoracic ACC metastases who achieved a significant response after 2 cycles of paclitaxel chemotherapy.
Results:
The first patient died of progressive disease approximately 4 months after completing paclitaxel therapy, and the second patient had disease control after 6 cycles of paclitaxel.
Conclusions:
Systemic weekly paclitaxel produced a significant response in 2 patients with ACC of the head and neck, and its use in this disease merits further study.
