Histopathological Grading and Clinical Features of Patients with Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands

Abstract

In the 22 years between March 1979 and February 2001, we treated 16 patients 10 men and 6 women aged 10-80 years (mean: 44 years) - with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the salivary gland, evaluating them clinically and histopathologically. Tumor sites included 12 at the parotid gland, 3 at the submandibular gland, and 1 at the minor salivary gland. All tumors were graded histopathologically based on the criteria of Goode et al. as follows : low grade (n=10), intermediate grade (n=1), and high grade (n=5). Female gender was associated with low grade MEC and male gender with high grade MEC (P<0.05). The age at onset in high grade MEC was older than that in low grade MEC (P<0.005). Lymph-node metastasis was detected in 7 out of the 16 patients (44%) associated significantly with high grade MEC (P<0.05). Distant metastasis was detected in 4 of 16 patients (25%). Distant metastasis was significantly associated with high grade MEC (P<0.05). Local recurrence was detected in 3 of 15 patients undergoing surgery (20%). No difference was seen in local recurrence frequency between low and high grade MEC. Survival was calculated with Kaplan-Meier's method. In all 16, 5-year survival was 86% and 10-year survival 75%. Five-year survival in low grade MEC was 100%, whereas that in high grade MEC was 67% (P<0.05). In MEC of the salivary gland, it was suggested that the histopathological MEC grade evaluated by Goode's criteria significantly correlated with gender, age, lymph-node metastasis. distant metastasis, and 5-year survival.