Tumours of the minor salivary glands: a clinicopathologic study of 243 cases

243 patients with tumours of the minor salivary glands were analysed clinicopathologically. The palate was the most common location for the lesions. Mixed tumours (pleomorphic adenomas) were the most common benign tumour type. Muco-epidermoid carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma were the dominant types of malignant tumours. For malignant tumours, the overall 3-year survival rate was 84.0%, 5-year 80.2%, 10-year 66.7% and 15-year 53.6%. The overall recurrency rate was 38.9%. The rate of cervical lymph node metastases and distant metastases rate were both 9.2%.