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Prognostic factors in minor salivary gland cancer
J N Anderson1, S W Beenken, R Crowe
1Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294, USA.
Background:
Minor salivary gland cancer occurs infrequently and presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The purpose of this study was to determine prognostic factors for this disease.
Methods:
The medical records of 95 patients diagnosed and treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham over a 35-year period were reviewed. Information concerning patient, disease, and treatment characteristics was compiled for each case. Multivariate analysis was conducted using a rank regression procedure.
Results:
State I or II cancer (p = .022), the absence of cervical lymph node metastases (p = .001), and surgical margins which were free of cancer (p < .001) were predictive of increased 4-year disease-free survival by multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:
Our findings emphasize the need for detection of early-stage disease combined with complete surgical extirpation of the cancer, which provide the patient with the best chance for locoregional control and long-term survival.