title: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary gland--a clinico-pathologic and immunohistochemical study for c-erbB-2 oncoprotein.
abstract: Twenty-five cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary glands were studied with respect to clinico-pathologic features, prognostic factors, and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression. Fourteen cases were located in parotid glands, 2 in submandibular glands and 9 in minor salivary glands. Fourteen patients were confirmed to have local recurrences, 6 patients manifested systemic metastases, and 10 patients died of the disease. They were histologically graded as I in 5, II in 12 and III in 8 cases respectively, and the histologic grade was significantly correlated with disease-free interval and overall survival of the patients. c-erbB-2 overexpression was observed in 9 cases (36%), with a trend to be associated with the higher grade, but was not evaluated as a significant survival-related factor in this series. Larger size and major gland location of the tumors were correlated with more frequent regional lymph node metastases. The present study showed that c-erbB-2 overexpression was not uncommonly present in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary glands, especially of higher grade, and the histologic grade was the most important and handy prognostic indicator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases