Background
The patterns of regional metastasis in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck and its association with outcome is not established.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective multicentered multivariate analysis of 270 patients who underwent neck dissection.
Results
The incidence rate of neck metastases was 29%. The rate observed in the oral cavity is 37%, and in the major salivary glands is 19% (p = .001). The rate of occult nodal metastases was 17%. Overall 5-year survival rates were 44% in patients undergoing therapeutic neck dissections, and 65% and 73% among those undergoing elective neck dissections, with and without nodal metastases, respectively (p = .017). Multivariate analysis revealed that the primary site, nodal classification, and margin status were independent predictors of survival.
Conclusion
Our findings support the consideration of elective neck treatment in patients with ACC of the oral cavity.
Considerable benefit to the patient may result from the cautious use of FNAB of lesions of the salivary gland. The close co-operation between pathologist and surgeon can improve individual treatment.
Although perineural invasion has no impact on survival, intraneural invasion is an independent predictor of poor prognosis. Recognition of intraneural invasion may help optimize treatment of patients with head and neck ACC.
Tumors of the salivary glands are a heterogeneous group of diseases most often originating in the major salivary glands. Only a minor proportion of mainly malignant tumors arise in the sublingual gland. Due to the rarity of sublingual gland tumors (SGTs), little is known about the clinicopathologic characteristics, prognostic factors, and clinical course. We present a large national series of histopathologically revised SGTs from the past 35 years in Denmark with clinicopathologic correlation. Twenty nine cases were identified, of which 96.6 % were malignant and 16/28 (57.1 %) were adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC). Patient demography was similar to salivary gland tumors in other locations. All fine needle aspiration cytologies (FNACs) interpreted as benign were from ACCs. Metastatic disease was found in 12.5 % of ACCs at diagnosis with one third of all ACC patients having metastases at the end of follow-up. Stage >II and T-stage >2 were significantly associated with shortened disease-specific survival (DSS) (p = 0.005 and <0.001, respectively), whereas perineural invasion and involved margins was not. No parameters were associated with disease-free survival. In conclusion, the majority of SGTs are malignant, most frequently ACC with a high rate of metastatic spread. The diagnostic value of FNAC in SGTs seems inferior to what is found for other major salivary glands. DSS is determined by stage and T-stage and not by histopathological parameters. International collaboration is warranted to confirm and elaborate these findings in larger materials.
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