Facial nerve damage in the treatment of tumours of the parotid gland.

The treatment of malignant parotid gland tumours by either surgery or X-radiotherapy alone results in unacceptably high rates of local recurrence. This has led to a combined management, with radiation given either before or after surgery. In the best series this gives an 85% control rate but with severance of the facial nerve in a high proportion of cases. Fast neutron therapy was given for much more advanced tumours and gave the same control rate. Where the facial nerve had been damaged by the tumour, paralysis was lessened substantially in four of nine cases. However neutrons were the apparent course of damage to the nerve in three cases. Two of these had previously received surgery and X-ray therapy.