title: Predictors of postoperative complications and survival in patients with major salivary glands malignancies: a study highlighting the influence of age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to reveal prognostic factors for surgical complications and survival in young and elderly patients with malignant salivary gland tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of surgically treated patients with malignant major salivary gland tumors was performed. Of the 111 patients, 33 patients were 70 years or older and 78 patients were under 70. Comorbidity was recorded using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 index and complications using the Clavien-Dindo classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comorbidity and complications were significantly more frequent in elderly patients (p < .05). Age, comorbidity, and length of surgery were not significant independent predictors of complications. Stage was the only independent predictive factor for postoperative complications and disease-specific survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on this retrospective analysis reviewing surgically treated patients, age alone should not be a reason to treat elderly patients differently, as it was not a predictor of either complications or disease-specific survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Groningen University Institute for Drug Exploration), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thomas T A
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Boukje A C
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Jan L N
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Roodenburg
authors.forename: Boudewijn E C
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Plaat
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wedman
authors.forename: Bernard F A M
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: van der Laan
authors.forename: Gyorgy B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Halmos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013365:Submandibular Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: comorbidity; complications; elderly; salivary gland cancer; survival