Parotid gland carcinoma: surgical strategy based on local risk factors

Abstract

To evaluate the best surgical strategy in cases of parotid gland carcinoma, local risk factors (T, N, histology, and treatment) were analyzed in a series of 134 patients. The efficacy of the facial nerve sacrifice in case of macroscopic tumor infiltration was tested by means of survival analyses (Kaplan-Meier and Cox algorithms). This study demonstrated that nerve preservation resulted in a better prognostic value when compared with resection only in the group of patients having a T1 or T2. In patients affected by T3 and T4, the different treatment did not show any difference in survival rate. In conclusion, the sacrifice of the facial nerve is not always able to improve the survival rate.