Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland: factors affecting outcome.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic factors affecting the outcome in patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the parotid gland.


METHODS
A total of 113 patients with MEC who were treated between 1993 and 2002 were analyzed.


RESULTS
At median follow-up of 49 months (range, 1-143 months), disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 and 10 years was 84.6 and 84.6%, 80.7% and 67.3%, and 52.5% and 35.0% for low-grade, intermediate-grade, and high-grade tumors, respectively. Five-year and 10-year overall survival was 96.8% for low-grade tumors; 94.1% and 82.4%, respectively, for intermediate-grade tumors; and 73.3% for high-grade tumors. High-grade tumors and lymph node cancer-positive neck tumors strongly predicted poor locoregional control and DFS, while close or positive cut margins showed a trend toward poorer outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Histologic grade is the most important factor affecting outcome in parotid MEC. Adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended for high-grade tumors and should be tailored according to the expected risk of recurrence for low-grade and intermediate-grade tumors.
Ghosh-Laskar
Sarbani
S
Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel (East), Mumbai 400012, India. sarbanilaskar@yahoo.co.in
Murthy
Vedang
V
Wadasadawala
Tabassum
T
Agarwal
Jaiprakash
J
Budrukkar
Ashwini
A
Patil
Nikhilesh
N
Kane
Shubhada
S
Chaukar
Devendra
D
Pai
Prathamesh
P
Chaturvedi
Pankaj
P
D'Cruz
Anil
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult