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. 2019 Oct 1;125(19):3354-3366.
doi: 10.1002/cncr.32208. Epub 2019 Jun 7.

Minor salivary gland tumors of the head and neck-Memorial Sloan Kettering experience: Incidence and outcomes by site and histological type

Ashley J Hay  1 , Jocelyn Migliacci  1 , Daniella Karassawa Zanoni  1 , Marlena McGill  1 , Snehal Patel  1 , Ian Ganly  1
Affiliations

Minor salivary gland tumors of the head and neck-Memorial Sloan Kettering experience: Incidence and outcomes by site and histological type

Ashley J Hay et al. Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Minor salivary gland carcinomas of the head and neck are rare cancers with variable clinical behavior. This study explored the incidence, pathology, clinical behavior, and factors predictive of outcomes in a large cohort of patients treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center over a 30-year period (1985-2015).

Methods: Clinical, pathological, treatment, and outcome data were collected. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios for each variable were calculated with univariate and multivariable Cox regression for survival and recurrence outcomes.

Results: Four hundred fifty patients were included: 55% were female, 56% were younger than 60 years, and the median follow-up was 74 months (range, 1-364 months). The most common site was the oral cavity with 305 tumors (68%), which was followed by the oropharynx with 96 (21%), the sinonasal cavity with 38 (8%), the trachea with 7 (2%), and the larynx with 4 (1%). The most common histological types were mucoepidermoid carcinoma (180 tumors [40%]), adenoid cystic carcinoma (141 tumors [31%]), and polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (54 tumors [12%]). The 5-year predicted overall survival rate was 86%, and the disease-specific survival rate was 94% at 5 years. Pathology and tumor stage were significant variables on multivariate analysis for overall survival, disease-specific survival, recurrence-free survival, local recurrence-free survival, regional recurrence-free survival, and distant recurrence-free survival.

Conclusions: American Joint Committee on Cancer stage and pathology were the most predictive variables across all outcomes. Tumor site, postoperative radiotherapy, and margin status were not statistically significant variables after tumor stage and pathology were controlled for in most outcomes.

Keywords: head and neck cancer; minor salivary gland carcinoma; outcomes; prediction; survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: All the authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1A
Figure 1A
Proportion of minor salivary glands at different subsites
Figure 1B
Figure 1B
Histological types of different minor salivary carcinoma
Figure 1C
Figure 1C
Proportion of histology type by anatomical subsite
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan Meier estimates of Overall Survival (OS), Recurrence Free Survival (RFS) and Disease Specific Survival (DSS) with 5 and 10 year percentage estimates
Figure 3A
Figure 3A
Kaplan Meier estimates of Disease Specific Survival by gender
Figure 3B
Figure 3B
Kaplan Meier estimates of Disease Specific Survival by tumor site
Figure 3C
Figure 3C
Kaplan Meier estimates of Disease Specific Survival by AJCC Stage
Figure 3D
Figure 3D
Kaplan Meier estimates of Disease Specific Survival by pathological risk group
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pattern of recurrence of minor salivary carcinoma
Figure 5
Figure 5
Kaplan Meier estimates of Regional Recurrence Free Survival (RRFS), Local Recurrence Free Survival (LRFS), Distant Recurrence Free Survival (DSS) with 5 and 10 year percentage estimates
Figure 6
Figure 6
Proportion of distant failure in minor salivary gland carcinoma by histopathology
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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