title: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary glands--clinical review of 42 cases.
abstract: In this retrospective study we analyzed our experience with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the salivary glands and compared our results with those reported in the literature. A total of 42 patients were treated between January 1983 and December 2002 at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hanover Medical School. Thirty-three tumors were classified as low grade carcinomas, 9 tumors as high grade carcinomas. Tumor sites were the parotid gland in 11 cases, sublingual and submandibular gland in 6 cases, oral cavity and oropharynx in 22 cases and nasal cavity and maxillary sinus in 3 cases. There were 23 T1-, 6 T2-, 5 T3- and 8 T4-tumors with 35 N0-, 5 N1- and 2 N2-necks, all M0 at presentation. Resection remained incomplete for 9 patients. Six patients received postoperative radiation. Overall survival rates, overall local control rates and overall regional control rates at 5 and 10 years were 79.1% and 65.5%, 89.1% and 80.8%, 92.3% and 87.7%. None of our patients developed distant failure. Grade, stage and margin status significantly influenced prognosis. MEC is a rare tumor entity and should be treated in specialist centres within randomised prospective multicentric trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hanover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. kokemueller.horst@web.de
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kokemueller
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brueggemann
authors.forename: Gwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Swennen
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eckardt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome