Radical surgery following radiotherapy for advanced parotid carcinoma

We have reviewed the surgical treatment of 12 consecutive patients with advanced carcinoma of the parotid gland at this hospital. Ten patients received immediate preoperative radiotherapy to a mean total dose (TD) of 4000 cGy (rad), range 2600-6500 cGy. Two patients with recurrent carcinoma had previously been treated with local radiotherapy (TD 6500 cGy) at 1 year and 2 years respectively prior to referral. A radical parotidectomy with block dissection of the neck was performed on all 12 patients. After a follow-up period ranging from 6 months to 8 years, 6 patients have remained disease free including 3 patients who have died from unrelated causes within this period. Three patients have developed local recurrent disease (interval 9 months-3 years), 3 further patients with residual microscopic disease have been observed postoperatively (follow-up interval 6 months-2 years) without developing overt local recurrence.