Efficacy and treatment-related toxicity of radiotherapy for early-stage primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the parotid gland

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the parotid gland. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Data on 35 consecutive patients seen at Mayo Clinic between 1974 and 2000 with Ann Arbor Stage I and II NHL of the parotid gland were reviewed retrospectively. Radiotherapy was given to 23 patients, and 12 patients were observed. Eight patients received RT to local fields only. In addition to local fields, 9 patients received ipsilateral neck irradiation, and 6 patients received both ipsilateral and contralateral neck irradiation. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 6.5 years (range, 2 months-24 years). Local control was significantly improved in the RT group compared with the observation group (p = 0.03). Both overall survival and disease-specific survival were 90% at 5 years and 71% at 10 years. There was no significant difference in disease-specific survival or overall survival between the RT and observation groups. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prognosis for this rare presentation of NHL is excellent. Radiotherapy provided significant improvement in local control with minimal morbidity and should be considered in the treatment of these patients.