Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locoregionally advanced salivary gland malignancies

Background Locoregionally advanced salivary gland malignancies have a poor prognosis despite aggressive therapy. Herein we report our experience in treating high-risk salivary gland malignancies with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods Medical records of 15 patients with salivary gland malignancies treated with CRT at our institution between 1997 and 2010 were analyzed. Results All patients had high-risk characteristics: 80% were stage IV, 54% were =N2, and 47% were unresectable and were treated with definitive CRT. At 2 years, overall survival (OS) was 67%, disease-free survival (DFS) was 44%, and local control was 76%. There were no treatment-related deaths, and patients experienced expected acute side effects. Conclusion CRT for salivary gland malignancies has acceptable toxicity, CRT is proven beneficial for many other cancers, and some salivary gland malignancies are clinically responsive to chemotherapy. CRT, therefore, should be considered for treatment of high-risk salivary gland malignancies. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011