Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland: Twenty-year experience in treatment and outcomes

Background Parotid gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) has published five-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of 77%-97%, with variance related to grade. Methods Patients receiving primary surgery for parotid gland MEC from 1995 to 2014 at a tertiary medical center underwent clinical review, histopathologic review, and cytogenetic analysis. Survival outcomes were evaluated. Results Among 58 patients, T/N/M classification was as follows: T1 in 35 patients, T2 in 14, T4a in 9, N0 in 53, N1 in 2, N2b in 3. Histologic grade was low in 27, intermediate in 17, and high in 12 patients with 98% MAML2 positivity. All patients underwent parotidectomy, and seven patients received adjuvant radiation therapy. CSS was 100% at 5 years and 94.1% at 10 and 15 years. Two patients experienced locoregional recurrence. Conclusions Treatment with adequate surgical resection and adjuvant radiation therapy for high-grade or advanced-stage tumors yields excellent survival, independent of clinical stage or pathologic grade.