Prognostic factors in minor salivary gland cancer.

Abstract

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. 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. 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. 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.