Postoperative iodine‐125 interstitial brachytherapy for the early stages of minor salivary gland carcinomas of the lip and buccal mucosa with positive or close margins

Background The purpose of this study was to present our preliminary exploration of safety and efficacy of postoperative low-dose-rate brachytherapy for the early clinical stages of minor salivary gland carcinomas of the lip and buccal mucosa. Methods Twenty-seven patients with the early stages of minor salivary gland carcinomas of the lip and buccal mucosa received postoperative 125I seed interstitial brachytherapy from March 2005 to May 2015. Actuarial likelihood estimates for local control, overall survival, and disease-free survival were calculated by Kaplan–Meier method. Results The actuarial 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year local control rates were 94.7%, 82.9%, and 82.9%, respectively. The actuarial 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year overall survival rates were 93.3%, 93.3%, and 77.8%, respectively. No patient experienced toxicity above grade 2. Conclusion Postoperative 125I seed interstitial brachytherapy is an alternative to radical surgery for early stages of minor salivary gland carcinomas of the lip and buccal mucosa, which offers satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcomes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 572–577, 2017