Epithelial salivary glands neoplasms in children and adolescents: a forty-four-year experience.
BACKGROUND
Epithelial neoplasms of salivary gland origin are relatively uncommon in children and adolescents. Over a 44-year period, there were 38 cases affecting children under 19 years of age in our Pediatric Hospital-Based Tumor Registry.


METHODS
Medical charts of 38 patients with epithelial neoplasms of salivary glands were reviewed. Data collected included demographic, clinical, and histological characteristics. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Student t-test, and Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.


RESULTS
The mean age was 11.8 years. There was a female preponderance of 1.9:1. The parotid gland was affected in most cases (65.8%). Twenty-seven patients had malignant tumors and eleven patients presented benign neoplasms. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most frequent benign tumor (7 out of 11) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most frequent malignancy (17 out of 27). Five-year overall survival rate was 81.6% for patients with malignant tumors. Grade of differentiation was the only significant prognostic factor for patients with mucoepidermoid carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Epithelial salivary gland tumors are very rare in children. Surgery is the best option to achieve high cure rates and radiotherapy must have precise indications because of their long-term side effects in young age.
Ribeiro
Karina de Cássia Braga
Kde C
Hospital Cancer Registry Coordinator, Centro de Tratamento e Pesquisa Hospital do Câncer A. C. Camargo, R. Prof. Antonio Prudente, 211 São Paulo-SP, CEP 01509-900 Brazil.
Kowalski
Luiz Paulo
LP
Saba
Leda Maria Buazar
LM
de Camargo
Beatriz
B
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate