Postoperative irradiation in malignant tumors of submandibular gland.

A retrospective review of 18 patients with treated primary malignant tumors of submandibular gland is presented. The data revealed that initial control of malignancies was inversely related to the presence of disease and surgical margins. Postoperative radiation therapy was used in cases with positive surgical margins. Of the patients with inadequate surgical margins, 71% achieved local relapse when they had surgery alone, compared with 27% of the group that received postoperative irradiation. This study suggests that adjuvant radiation therapy may improve the local control and survival. Such therapy can serve as the salvage method for those who have inadequate surgical margins. Re-excision is disappointing in its ability to control this disease.