Acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland. Retrospective analysis

Background and objective. Acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland is a r are malignant tumor, which is generally regarded as low grade. However, rap idly fatal courses do occur. Patients and methods. Eighteen patients with acinic cell carcinoma were stu died retrospectively who had undergone treatment between 1968 and 1997 at t he University Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Hospital in Homburg (Saar), Germa ny and between 1994 and 1997 at the Marienhospital ENT Hospital in Stuttgar t, Germany. Results. The distribution of the T category (UICC 1997) was as follows : T1 n=8,T2 n=7, T3 n=l,and T4 n=2. Treatment was exclusively surgical in 14 ca ses 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 a ccording 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 genera l by total parotidectomy. Postoperative radiotherapy may be useful in advan ced high-grade tumors.