Treatment outcome of resected and nonresected primary adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lung.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The incidence of primary adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lung is relatively rare and the optimal treatment strategy is still unclear. METHODS Sixteen adenoid cystic carcinoma patients were treated at our institute from 1972 to 1998 and their clinical features, treatments and survivals were reviewed. RESULTS Half of all patients were female and the median age was 46 ranging from 30 to 64. All primary lesions were located in the central bronchial tree and 80% of the patients had some symptoms. Eleven patients underwent a resection of the tumor with/without plasty of the trachea or bronchus. Although 6 (55%) of 11 patients had a microscopic residual tumor after resection, 5 patients who received postoperative radiotherapy survived without recurrence from 3 to 17 years. Five patients received radiotherapy as their initial treatment and all tumors responded well to the treatment. The 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 91 and 76% without local recurrence in the resected group and 40 and 0% in the nonresected group, respectively. CONCLUSION These observations suggest that surgical resection should be selected first whenever possible, and, in addition, adenoid cystic carcinoma is sensitive to radiotherapy.