Clinical characteristics and survival for major salivary gland malignancies in children.
OBJECTIVE
Determine presentation and survival rates for malignant pediatric salivary gland neoplasms.


METHODS
All cases of malignant neoplasms involving the parotid or submandibular gland in patients ages birth to 18 years were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1988-2001). Variables included age, gender, tumor histology, size, follow-up time, and vital status. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed.


RESULTS
113 primary salivary gland malignancies (103 parotid, 10 submandibular) were identified. Mean age at presentation was 13.2 years. Female:male ratio of 5:4. Mean tumor size was 2.5 cm. Among parotid tumors, there were 44 (43%) mucoepidermoid carcinomas and 35 (34%) acinic cell carcinomas. At a mean follow-up of 69.4 months, 6 (5.8%) patients with parotid malignancy were deceased; none of the submandibular malignancies were fatal. Mean Kaplan-Meier survival for parotid gland lesions was 153 months, with rhabdomyosarcomas exhibiting significantly worse survivals as compared to other malignancies (P < 0.001, log-rank test).


CONCLUSIONS
Both epithelial and mesenchymal tumors present in the pediatric salivary gland. Survival for both parotid and submandibular gland malignancies is good in children.


METHODS
C-4.
Division of Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, 90095, USA. nshapiro@ucla.edu
Nina L
NL
Shapiro
Neil
N
Bhattacharyya
D000293:Adolescent; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology