Long-Term Outcomes of Eye-Sparing Surgery for Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Lacrimal Gland

Authors: Jisang Han, Yoon-Duck Kim, Kyun In Woo, Deepak Sobti

Abstract

Purpose: This study’s primary purpose is to assess the long-term outcomes of patients who have undergone eye-sparing surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, clinical records were reviewed of all patients diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland, at a single institution, between March 1998 and November 2012. Ten patients were identified as having undergone eye-sparing surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. Preoperative radiographic findings, treatment modalities, histological results, and patient outcomes were analyzed.

Results: There were 6 male and 4 female patients. The patients’ tumors were staged according to the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, and were as follows: 1 patient was classified as T1aN0M0; 6 patients were classified as T2aN0M0; 1 patient was classified as T2cN0M0; 2 patients were classified as T3aN0M0. All patients had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma, which was confined to the orbit, and was without extension into adjacent bone marrow or other organs. All patients underwent eye-sparing tumor excision followed by postoperative radiotherapy, with a median dose of 6000 cGy (range: 5000-6600 cGy). At the last follow up, 8 patients were alive without evidence of disease. One patient was deceased at 58 months post-surgery, due to esophageal carcinoma; this was unrelated to the lacrimal gland tumor. The final patient experienced tumor recurrence in the medial orbit 53 months post-surgery, and exenteration was performed. This patient was alive, without disease recurrence, at 90 months following exenteration. The median follow-up time was 89.5 months (range: 37-217 months). Systemic metastasis did not occur in any patient.

Conclusions: Eye-sparing surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy have demonstrated favorable local control and long-term survival outcomes in patients with orbit-confined lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma. Consequently, eye-sparing surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy can be considered as a viable treatment option for orbit-confined lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28221296/

Fig. 1 CT scan of Case 9, who had adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland, and axial computed tomographic scan after surgical resection (a, b). Photos and CT scan of Case 20, who had adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland, and axial computed tomographic scan after surgical resection (c, d, e, f). Intraoperative photograph for eye-sparing tumor excision (g). Excised tumor (h)