Salivary gland tumors - our experience

Salivary gland neoplasms represent the most complex and diverse group of tumors encountered by the head and neck oncologist. Their diagnosis and management is complicated by their relative infrequency (1% of head and neck tumors)1, the limited amount of pre-treatment information available and the wide range of biologic behavior seen with the different pathologic lesion. Approximately 80% of salivary gland tumors are found in the parotid gland, 10 to 15% in the submandibular gland and 5 to 10% in the minor salivary glands. This retrospective study was conducted at government Medical college & Hospital, Chandigarh including 36 patients treated between January 1997 to June 2001 with the aim to contribute to the discussion about the best way to treat salivary gland neoplasms by analyzing data of patients treated in our hospital.