Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery
May 11, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Treatment Outcomes of Total Versus Superficial Parotidectomy With Postoperative Radiotherapy for High-Grade Parotid Carcinoma Confined to the Superficial Lobe: A Propensity Score-Adjusted Analysis.
Samuckkeethum W, Muenkaew Y, Ratanaprasert N, +6 more, Snidvongs K.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
For high-grade parotid carcinoma confined to the superficial lobe, superficial parotidectomy with radiotherapy gave comparable oncologic outcomes to total parotidectomy with fewer complications.
What was studied
A multicentre retrospective propensity score-adjusted cohort of 108 adults with high-grade superficial lobe parotid carcinoma treated with total (63) or superficial (45) parotidectomy plus postoperative radiotherapy (2011-2023), median follow-up 53 months.
Key findings
- Baseline characteristics were similar except older age and more Milan VI cytology in the total parotidectomy group
- Oncologic outcomes were comparable and complications significantly fewer with superficial parotidectomy (specific statistics not fully captured in the abstract)
Clinical relevance
Suggests less extensive surgery with adequate margins may be reasonable in this setting, though retrospective evidence cannot fully exclude selection bias.
Who should care
Limitations
Retrospective design with modest sample size and baseline imbalances.
Superficial parotidectomy plus radiotherapy may be sufficient for superficial lobe high-grade parotid cancer.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background
The optimal surgical management of high-grade parotid carcinoma confined to the superficial lobe remains controversial, with limited evidence comparing total and superficial parotidectomy in this setting.
Objective
To compare oncologic outcomes and complications between total parotidectomy with postoperative radiotherapy (TP + PORT) and superficial parotidectomy with postoperative radiotherapy (SP + PORT).
Study design
Multicentre retrospective cohort study.
Methods
Adult patients (> 18 years) with high-grade parotid carcinoma confined to the superficial lobe treated between 2011 and 2023 were identified at tertiary centres. Exclusion criteria included preoperative facial nerve palsy, metastatic disease to the parotid gland, prior head and neck radiotherapy, receipt of concurrent chemoradiation and follow-up < 12 months.
Results
A total of 108 patients were included (TP + PORT, n = 63; SP + PORT, n = 45) with a median follow-up of 53 months. Baseline characteristics were comparable except for older age and a higher proportion of Milan category VI cytology in the TP + PORT group (p < 0.05). Local, regional and distant recurrence rates and mortality did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.55, 0.26, 1.00 and 0.36, respectively). All local recurrences occurred within 24 months (mean: 7.2 months). Age and positive resection margins were independent predictors of mortality (p < 0.01). Five-year overall survival was 73.0% in the TP + PORT group and 81.5% in the SP + PORT group. IPTW-adjusted analyses confirmed no significant differences in recurrence or mortality between groups (hazard ratio for mortality, 0.78; 95% CI: 0.32-1.90; p = 0.59). Permanent facial nerve palsy was significantly more common after TP + PORT (14.3% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001), while other complications were similar.
Conclusion
Superficial parotidectomy with adequate margins followed by PORT achieves comparable oncologic outcomes with significantly fewer complications and may be preferred for high-grade parotid carcinoma confined to the superficial lobe.
Level of evidence
2d (JBI).
DOI
10.1111/coa.70115
PMID
42116680
PMCID
PMC13432667
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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