Chemoreirradiation for recurrent salivary gland malignancies

Background and purposeTo report our experience in treating recurrent salivary gland malignancies using concurrent chemotherapy and reirradiation.Materials and methodsBetween 1986 and 2007, 14 patients with locoregionally recurrent salivary gland cancer underwent maximal surgical resection followed by adjuvant 5-fluorouracil and hydroxyurea-based chemotherapy concurrently with 1.5 Gy twice daily or 2 Gy daily reirradiation. Each cycle consisted of chemoreirradiation for 5 consecutive days followed by a 9-day break. The median reirradiation dose was 66 Gy (R 30–72 Gy) after a mean radiation treatment interval of 48 months.ResultsThe median follow-up for all patients was 18 months (R 2–125 months) and 41 months for survivors. The parotid gland (n = 6) and minor salivary glands (n = 6) were involved more commonly than the submandibular gland (n = 2). Locoregional control at 1 and 3 years was 72.2% and 51.6%, respectively. Actuarial overall survival at 3 and 5 years was 35.7% and 26.8%, respectively. Tracheostomies and feeding tubes were placed in 2 and 8 patients, respectively. Six patients had feeding tubes at last follow-up or death.ConclusionsConcurrent chemotherapy and reirradiation for recurrent salivary malignancies result in promising locoregional control for patients with recurrent salivary gland malignancies.