[2003 Update of Standards, Options and Recommendations for management of patients with salivary gland malignant tumors (excluding lymphoma, sarcoma and melanoma) (summary report)].

Context: The "Standards, Options and Recommendations" (SOR) project, which started in 1993, is a collaboration between the Federation of French Cancer Centers (FNCLCC), the 20 French Regional Cancer Centers, and specialists from French public universities, general hospitals and private clinics. The main objective is the development of clinical practice guidelines to improve the quality of health care and the outcome of cancer patients.

Objectives: To update clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with salivary gland malignant tumors previously validated in 1997. These recommendations cover diagnosis, classification, treatment and follow-up of patients with these tumors.

Methods: The methodology is based on a literature review and critical appraisal by a multidisciplinary group of experts who define the CPG s according to the definitions of the Standards, Options and Recommendations project. Once the guidelines has been defined, the document is submitted for review by independent reviewers.

Results: This article is a summary version of the full document presenting the updated clinical practice guidelines with algorithms. The main questions addressed by the expert group in this update concern the place of fine needle aspiration biopsy in preoperative diagnosis, the place of cervical lymph node area surgical treatment, the place of postoperative irradiation and neutron therapy in the treatment of unresectable tumors and also the place of medical imaging, especially RMI, for the diagnosis of these tumors.