We evaluated the management and outcomes of patients with submandibular gland cancer treated at our department between September 1999 and March 2023. Data of a total of 34 patients were analyzed. Adenoid cystic carcinoma and salivary duct carcinoma were the most common histologic types, followed by mucoepidermoid carcinoma and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma. High-grade tumors accounted for 19 patients, and low-/intermediate-grade for 15 patients. The overall 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rate estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method was 59.5%, and the rates in the stage I, II, III, and IV cases were 100%, 68.6%,100%, and 25.0%, respectively. The 5-year DSS rates in the patient groups with high-grade and low-/intermediate-grade tumors were 43.8% and 83.3%, respectively. When classified according to the T stage, the 5-year DSS rates in the T1, T2, T3, and T4 were 100%, 65.3%, 33.3%, and 25.0%, respectively. Node-positive cases had a much worse prognosis than the N0 cases. Advanced-stage disease, node-positive status, and advanced age were identified as significant predictors of disease recurrence. The patient group with submandibular gland cancer had a much poorer prognosis than the patient group with parotid gland cancer, because the frequency of low-/intermediate-grade carcinomas, such as basal cell carcinoma, secretory carcinoma, and epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, is much lower among patients with submandibular gland cancer whereas these are the major types of cancer encountered in the patient group with parotid gland carcinoma.

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