Prognostic factors in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the minor salivary glands: A single-center retrospective study

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic effects of clinical and histologic findings in patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of minor salivary glands. Study Design This retrospective clinical review included 63 patients (30 males, mean age 52.8 years) with minor salivary gland MEC treated at our hospital from 1994 to 2019. Overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival was determined using the Kaplan-Meier limit method. Correlations between different factors and survival rates were assessed using chi-square tests. Results The 10-year OS rate was 91.2%. Low- or intermediate-grade MEC had a good prognosis regardless of the surgical margin, whereas high-grade MEC had a poor 10-year OS rate (64.2%). Ten patients developed recurrence or metastasis after primary surgical resection, of whom 6 were diagnosed with a high-grade tumor. The most frequently affected site was the palate, whereas the mandibular gingiva was the most commonly affected site during recurrence. Of 4 patients who received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy postsurgery, 2 had local recurrence and/or neck lymph node metastasis and 1 died from MEC. Conclusion Patients with low- or intermediate-grade MEC exhibited satisfactory survival after surgery. In patients with high-grade tumors, it has been suggested that survival rates are poor and do not improve following adjuvant therapy.