[Acinic cell carcinomas of the parotid gland. A retrospective analysis].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland is a rare malignant tumor, which is generally regarded as low grade. However, rapidly fatal courses do occur.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighteen patients with acinic cell carcinoma were studied retrospectively who had undergone treatment between 1968 and 1997 at the University Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Hospital in Homburg (Saar), Germany and between 1994 and 1997 at the Marienhospital ENT Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany.

RESULTS

The distribution of the T category (UICC 1997) was as follows: T1 n = 8, T2 n = 7, T3 n = 1, and T4 n = 2). Treatment was exclusively surgical in 14 cases and a combination of surgery and postoperative radiotherapy in 4 cases. The recurrence rate according to Kaplan-Meier was 6% after 3 years and 19% after 5, 10, and 15 years. The survival rate was 87% after 3 years and 73% after 5, 10, and 15 years. None of the 12 patients with low-grade tumors according to Batsakis et al. (1979) died from the tumor, whereas survival at 5 years was only 33% for 6 high-grade tumors (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend complete surgical removal of the tumor, in general by total parotidectomy. Postoperative radiotherapy may be useful in advanced high-grade tumors.