Between 1962 and 1985, 35 patients with malignant salivary gland tumors of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity were treated with curative intent at UCLA. They were staged according to the American Joint Committee (TNM) classification for squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinuses: 27 of 35 (77%) patients presented with T3-4 disease. Adenoid cystic carcinoma was the diagnosis in 24 (68%) patients, while adenocarcinoma accounted for half of the cases involving the ethmoid sinuses and nasal cavity. Eleven patients were treated with surgery alone, 13 with combined surgery and radiation, and 11 with radiation therapy alone. All patients were followed from 40 to 216 months. Analysis by treatment modality revealed a local control of 18% (2 of 11) in the surgery alone group, 62% (8 of 13) in the combined group, and 9% (1 of 11) in the radiation alone group. The group undergoing combined treatment achieved the highest local control rate despite having a higher proportion of patients with advanced stage and residual disease at the surgical margins. In patients with positive surgical margins, the tumor recurred locally in 4 of 6 (67%) unirradiated patients, compared with 3 of 10 (30%) of those undergoing postoperative irradiation. Patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma had poorer results, with only 25% remaining relapse-free, compared with 45% of patients with adenocarcinoma. The 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year actuarial survival for all cases was 73%, 60%, 32%, and 20%, respectively. We conclude that post-operative radiation improves the results of treatment in all patients with malignant salivary gland tumors in this location, compared with the results of surgery alone.