Base of tongue salivary gland tumors

Salivary tumors of the base of the tongue are encountered infrequently. A retrospective review of medical records from 1955 to 1985 was undertaken to determine the incidence of occurrence and to assess the outcome of the therapy provided. One hundred seventy-eight minor salivary gland tumors of the oral cavity and oropharynx were identified, of which 22 (13%) were located in the tongue base. All were malignant. The most common histologic type was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (10 patients), followed by adenocarcinoma (6 patients), and adenoid cystic carcinoma (6 patients). Thirteen patients were available for a mean follow-up of 5 years. Treatment was most often a combination of wide resection combined with postoperative radiation therapy. Ten patients (77%) are alive, one with persistent disease 8 years after diagnosis. Three patients died within 2 years of diagnosis, one with intercurrent disease. Improved control of disease in this series, when compared to previously reported series, is attributed to adequate surgical therapy and adjuvant radiotherapy. The deaths in our series occurred in patients who were unable to proceed with the recommended therapy. These unusual lesions require aggressive multimodality treatment for improved survival.