Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to assess the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinomas and its relationship with the prognosis.


METHODS
From 1953 to 1993, 27 patients with intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinomas surgically treated were selected for this study. Clinical data were obtained from the medical records, the microscopic slides were reviewed, the tumors were graded, and immunohistochemical analysis for p53, PCNA, cerbB-2, and CEA were carried out.


RESULTS
The tumors were more frequent in patients between 40 and 60 years of age (40.7%), without gender predilection. Hard palate was the most common site with 13 cases (48%). T2 was the more frequent stage (48%) and 2 patients (7.4%) were staged as N+. Most tumors (48%) were classified as low grade of malignancy. The expression of PCNA was associated to high-grade tumors (P = .00610) and c-erbB-2 to low grade tumors (P = .03958). No recurrence was noted in most of the cases (22 cases, 81.5%). Three cases (11.1%), however, showed local recurrence and 2 patients (7.4%) died because of the disease. The analysis of the overall survival rate showed that male patients (P = .04249), stage N (P = .05948), high grade of malignancy (P = .0009), strong expression of PCNA (P = .09128), and weak expression of c-erbB-2 (P = .03334) had the lowest survival rates.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that patients with intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinoma had a reduced survival expectation if they were of the male gender, with regional metastasis, high grade of malignancy, strong expression of PCNA and weak expression of c-erbB-2.


METHODS
C-4.
Department of Oral Semiology and Pathology, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba/UNICAMP, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. malopes@fop.unicamp.br
Márcio Ajudarte
MA
Lopes
Danyel Elias
DE
da Cruz Perez
Fábio
F
de Abreu Alves
Oslei Paes
OP
de Almeida
Luiz Paulo
LP
Kowalski
D000328:Adult; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53