Malignant tumors of major salivary glands are a rare and heterogeneous group of diseases. On average, 8 people in Slovenia are diagnosed with this disease every year. In the article, anatomy, epidemiological and etiological characteristics as well as diagnostic procedures and treatment principles applied in these tumors, are presented. Furthermore, we reviewed modes and results of therapy of malignant tumors of major salivary glands as conducted at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana during 1980-2004. They were compared with results of similar institutions from elsewhere in the world.Maligni tumorji velikih žlez slinavk so redka in raznolika skupina bolezni. V Sloveniji za to obliko raka vsako leto v povprečju zboli 8 ljudi. V prispevku so opisani anatomija, epidemiološke in etiološke značilnosti, diagnostični postopek in načela zdravljenja teh tumorjev. V nadaljevanju predstavljamo pregled načina in rezultatov zdravljenja malignih tumorjev velikih žlez slinavk na Onkološkem inštitutu v Ljubljani od 1980 do 2004. Primerjali smo jih z izsledki podobnih raziskav drugod po svetu
