Background: The use of chemotherapy for recurrent salivary gland carcinomas is under investigation.
Patients and methods: Fourteen patients (10 males, 4 females; median age 55 years, range 20-70) with recurrent carcinomas of major (9 patients) and minor (5 patients) salivary gland origin (histology: 1 adenocarcinoma, 10 adenoid cystic carcinoma, 2 undifferentiated carcinoma, 1 mucoepidermoid carcinoma) were treated with carboplatin AUC 5.5 + paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 (3-hour infusion) on day 1 (interval = 3 weeks). All patients had been previously treated with surgery + radiotherapy and 8 with a cisplatin combination. One patient had a local lesion, 7 locoregional recurrence and metastases and 6 patients had metastases only.
Results: Overall 65 courses were given (median 5; range 2-6). Responses were: PR in 2 patients (14%) lasting 5 and 12 months; 7 NC (50%) with a median duration of 8.5 months (5-12); and 5 PD (36%). The median survival time was 13.5 months for PR/NC patients, 6 months for non responders; median overall survival was 12.5 months (3-17+).
Conclusion: This combination had a moderate activity; the treatment was well tolerated and toxicity was manageable.