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Cause-Specific Mortality in Patients with Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Major Salivary Glands

  • Head and Neck Oncology
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

Conclusion

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Safina Ali MD, Mohammed Sarhan MD, Frank L. Palmer BA, Monica Whitcher BA, Jatin P. Shah MD, Snehal G. Patel MD & Ian Ganly MD, PhD

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  1. Safina Ali MD
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  2. Mohammed Sarhan MD
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  3. Frank L. Palmer BA
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  4. Monica Whitcher BA
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Correspondence to Ian Ganly MD, PhD.

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Ali, S., Sarhan, M., Palmer, F.L. et al. Cause-Specific Mortality in Patients with Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Major Salivary Glands. Ann Surg Oncol 20, 2396–2404 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-013-2872-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-013-2872-2

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