Primary sarcomas of the salivary glands: Case series and literature review

Background Mesenchymal malignancies of salivary origin are rare and are histologically diverse. We reviewed our experience with these tumors, as well as the published literature, with an emphasis on treatment modalities and prognosis. Methods We identified 17 patients treated for malignant mesenchymal cell tumors at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1990 and 2007. We compared our results to the literature from January 1990 to July 2010. Results Tumors were located primarily in the parotid gland and were primarily T1 tumors (<5 cm). All patients were treated with surgical resection, and 13 patients were given adjuvant therapy. Seven patients (41%) had recurrence, and 4 developed distant metastases. The overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 42% and 20%, respectively. Conclusions Our case series and literature review show that sarcomas of the salivary glands have a high rate of recurrence and are associated with a poor prognosis.