Malignant salivary gland tumors of the tongue: Analysis of 29 cases.

Abstract

Background: Minor salivary gland carcinomas of the tongue are rare tumors with diverse clinical and histological features and poor prognosis. Evidence regarding their characteristics and survival is limited. This study aimed to describe their clinical presentation, histology, and survival.

Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 29 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of minor salivary gland carcinoma of the tongue, treated at a referral cancer center between January 1990 and December 2024. Clinical, histological, therapeutic, and survival data were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: The median age was 61 years (range, 21-99), with a female predominance (62.1%). The base of the tongue was the most common site (65.5%). Adenoid cystic carcinoma was the most frequent histology (48.3%), followed by adenocarcinoma (27.6%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (24.1%). Most patients were diagnosed at advanced stages (III-IV, 65.4%), with node involvement in 41.4% of cases. Surgery was the primary treatment modality (38%), and radiotherapy was administered in 48.3% of cases. Five-year disease-free survival was 70%, while overall survival was 35%, with a median of 87 months. Moderately differentiated tumors showed a trend toward better survival, without statistical significance.

Conclusions: Minor salivary gland carcinomas of the tongue are rare and frequently diagnosed at advanced stages. Prognosis is largely influenced by histology and tumor differentiation, highlighting the importance of long-term follow-up and multicenter studies to more reliably identify prognostic factors.