Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Salivary Gland: Long Term Outcomes from a Tertiary Cancer Center in India

To analyze the patterns of failure and factors affecting recurrence and overall survival in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary gland. The hospital records were retrospectively analyzed from October 2010 to January 2016. Patients diagnosed as mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary gland were eligible for analysis. All patients received surgery as the primary treatment modality with or without post operative radiotherapy. Statistical analysis for factors affecting recurrence was done by cox regression analysis and p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 116 patients were diagnosed to have malignant salivary gland tumors of which 69 were mucoepidermoid carcinomas (69.5%). The median age was 43 years (8–75 years). Majority of the tumors occurred in major salivary glands gland (77%). 51% patients were females. Most common stage was stage II (36%) followed by stage I (27.5%), stage IV (20.3%) and stage III (16%). High grade carcinomas comprised 34.8%, intermediate grade 30.4% and low grade 34.8%. 36 patients (52.2%) received adjuvant radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions). At a median follow up of 42 months (8–70 months), 8 (11.6%) patients died (7 cancer related and 1 noncancer related). The locoregional recurrence rate was 4.3% whereas the distant metastasis rate was 11.6%. Most common site of distant metastasis was lung. The mean disease free survival time was 61.4 months and the mean overall survival was 62 months. On univariate analysis, age < 50 years, node positive, presence of PNI, high grade, presence of LVI and local recurrence were significant factors for distant metastasis (p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, high grade, presence of LVI and local recurrence were significant factors for distant metastasis (p < 0.05). Mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary gland have good long term local control and overall survival. Majority of the recurrences are distant metastasis. High grade, LVI and local recurrence are significant risk factors for distant relapse.