Postoperative radiation therapy for small, low‐/intermediate‐grade parotid tumors with close and/or positive surgical margins

BACKGROUND: Patients with small, low-/intermediate-risk parotid cancers, treated with surgery, and who have the single prognostic factor of close and/or positive margins, constitute an unusual subset. This study evaluates local control and morbidity associated with postoperative radiation therapy for low/intermediate grade parotid cancer in these patients. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2006, 17 patients underwent postoperative radiation therapy at Beth Israel Medical Center for acinic cell carcinoma or low-intermediate-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid with close/positive margins. Pathology, treatment, and follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed for morbidity and local control. Two- and 5-year estimates of survival outcomes were performed followed by an analysis of complications. RESULTS: There were no local failures and no significant long-term complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with small, low-risk cancer of the parotid gland have excellent local control and low treatment-related morbidity when receiving postoperative radiation therapy for positive or close margins of resection.