title: Cause-specific mortality in patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the major salivary glands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and cause of disease-specific death in patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) affecting the major salivary glands.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 94 patients with MEC treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1985 and 2009 were identified from a preexisting database of 451 patients with major salivary gland cancer. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were recorded from a retrospective analysis of patient charts. There were 49 males (52 %), and the median age was 57 years (range, 9-89 years). Of the 94 patients, 49 % had low, 22 % had intermediate, and 28 % had high-grade carcinoma. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cause of death was determined by chart review. Predictors of DSS were identified by univariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a median follow-up of 59 months (range, 1-257), the 5-year OS, DSS, and RFS for all patients were 76 %, 83 %, and 79 %, respectively. DSS was significantly poorer for high-grade MEC compared with low/intermediate-grade MEC (5-year DSS 37 % vs 100 %, P < .001). There were 9 disease-specific deaths. The cause of death in 7 patients was distant metastatic disease with locoregional recurrence accounting for death in only 2 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Outcome in patients with mucoepidermoid cancers of the major salivary glands is generally good. Mortality occurs almost exclusively in patients with high-grade tumors. The cause of death in the majority of patients is distant metastatic disease rather than locoregional recurrence.
authors: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Safina
authors: S
authors: Ali
authors: Mohammed
authors: M
authors: Sarhan
authors: Frank L
authors: FL
authors: Palmer
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Whitcher
authors: Jatin P
authors: JP
authors: Shah
authors: Snehal G
authors: SG
authors: Patel
authors: Ian
authors: I
authors: Ganly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult