Primary salivary gland-type lung cancer: surgical outcomes

Abstract

Primary salivary gland-type lung cancer is rare, and little is known about the role of surgery. The aim of this study was to analyze surgical role and outcome for primary salivary gland-type lung cancer. Between October 1995 and June 2008, 48 patients underwent surgical treatment for primary salivary gland-type lung cancer. Medical records were analyzed for age, sex, tumor histopathology, location, surgical resection, tumor grade, clinical outcome, and survival. There were 31 male and 17 female patients, with an average age of 41.1±15.2 years. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma was diagnosed in 26 patients, adenoid cystic carcinoma was diagnosed in 20 patients, and epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma was diagnosed in 2 patients. The operative procedure included (bi) lobectomy (n=15, 31.2%), sleeve lobectomy (n=13, 27.1%), tracheal resection (n=8, 16.7%), pneumonectomy (n=7, 14.6%), and carinal resection (n=5, 10.4%). There was no operative mortality, and minor morbidity occurred in eight patients. Incomplete resection occurred in eight patients, and six of them received postoperative radiotherapy. Of incompletely resected patients, cancer recurrence was found in three patients, and all were in the adjuvant radiotherapy group. Overall, cancer recurred in 11 patients (22.9%), and 4 of them were treated by repeated surgical resection and were alive and disease-free at the conclusion of this study. The overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates after operation were 97.6 and 86.7%. Surgical resection of primary salivary gland-type lung cancer was an effective treatment with low operative morbidity, and expected long-term survival. Repeated surgical resection may be considered an effective treatment modality in some cases of recurrence.