CHEMOTHERAPY FOR RECURRENT SALIVARY-GLAND MALIGNANCIES - EXPERIENCE OF THE ENT DEPARTMENT OF TURIN-UNIVERSITY

Twenty-seven patients(l7 males, 10 females; median age 59 years) with recurrent high-grade malignancies of major (22 cases) and minor (5 cas es) salivary gland origin (10 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 9 adenocarcin omas, 4 poorly differentiated carcinomas, 1 mixed malignant tumor, 3 m ucoepidermoid carcinomas) were treated by monochemotherapy - cisplatin (CDDP) in 8 cases, or adriamycin in 5 cases - or polychemotherapy - C DDP + epirubicin + 5-fluorouracil/cyclophosphamide in 9 cases or CDDP + 5-fluorouracil in 3 cases with mucoepidermoid carcinomas. In adenoca rcinoma-like tumors, patients treated by polychemotherapy showed a bet ter response (9.1% CR, 36.3% PR) than patients treated with monochemot herapy (no CR, 23% PR). Patients with local recurrence and adenocarcin oma exhibited a better response. Median response duration: 7.5 months after poly- and 4 after monochemotherapy. Median overall survival time was 8+ months (responders: 14+) in the polychemotherapy group and 5.5 (responders: 8) in the monochemotherapy group. In the 3 cases with mu coepidermoid carcinoma 1 patient achieved a PR (33.3%) and in 2 there was no change.