title: Primary pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma: an analysis of 21 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal treatment for pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), a rare type of tumor, has not been established yet. This study analyzed the survival of pulmonary MEC patients and attempted to find clues for optimal treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 21 patients with pulmonary MEC from November 2004 to January 2011 were included in the investigation. Immunohistochemistry, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, and survival were retrospectively studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 21 pulmonary MEC patients, 17 were diagnosed with low-grade malignancy and 4 with high-grade malignancy through pathological examination. The prognosis was found to be poor in the presence of lymph nodes. The expression rates of EGFR and HER2 were 28.6% and 0%, respectively, which correlated with neither grade nor prognosis. The mutation rate of EGFR was 0. Log-rank test results indicated that age, grade, lymph node metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis stage were prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age, grade, lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis stage correlate with the survival of pulmonary MEC patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study was approved and registered by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Jun-jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shao-hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chun-yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors