Characteristics of 5015 Salivary Gland Neoplasms Registered in the Hiroshima Tumor Tissue Registry over a Period of 39 Years

Abstract

Salivary gland neoplasms are uncommon, and their epidemiology in Japan has not been well described. We conducted a retrospective review of salivary gland tumors registered in the Hiroshima Tumor Tissue Registry over a period of 39 years. The subjects were 5015 cases ranging in age from 6 to 97 (mean, 54.3) years old. The incidence of both benign tumors and malignant tumors increased with age until 60–69 years and then declined. Among the 5015 salivary gland neoplasms, 3998 (80%) were benign and 1017 (20%) were malignant. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) was the most frequent benign tumor (68%), followed by Warthin tumor (26%). Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) (27%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) (26%) were the two most frequent malignant tumors. Characteristically, there was a very low incidence of polymorphous adenocarcinoma in Japan. The average annual age-adjusted incidence rate per 100,000 population was 3.3 for benign tumors and 0.8 for malignant tumors. This is the large-scale multi-institutional analysis to describe the characteristics of salivary gland neoplasms, based on the pathological tissue registry data. We hope that the present data can contribute to early diagnosis and effective treatment of salivary gland tumors and to cancer prevention.

Salivary gland tumors: a 15-year experience of a universıty hospital in Turkey

“…Submandibular gland and minor salivary gland tumors are seen at similar rates. In large series of studies on this subject, their incidence has been reported as between 61%-83% for parotid gland tumors, 10%-17% for submandibular gland tumors, and 3%-26% for minor salivary gland tumors [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Sublingual gland tumors account for less than 1% of all tumors.…”

“…They can be seen in both sexes. Approximately 80% of the tumors are in benign character, and the majority of them are seen in the parotid gland [5]. Although, in many studies, the most commonly seen benign and malignant tumors are reported as pleomorphic adenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, respectively, different tumor types and different rates may be observed in different geographic areas and ethnic groups.…”

Prevalence of mucoepidermoid carcinoma among intraoral minor salivary gland tumors: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…In addition, it must also be mentioned that in low‐income locations, individuals often encounter difficulties in the access to healthcare services, 39,40 which may have underestimated the results. Low life expectancy in some countries may also have also underestimated prevalence rates since MEC is more commonly found in individuals with more than 50 years 3,4,23 …”

“…Overall, compared to major salivary gland tumors, a higher frequency of malignant neoplasms is reported within minor salivary gland tumors (MiSGT) 3 . Palate, oral mucosa, and lips are usually the most affected sites 3,4 …”

“…Although there are many studies concerning the prevalence of MEC among MiSGT in the literature, 3‐5 a consensus about the overall prevalence and anatomical or geographic distribution of this lesion is lacking. The knowledge regarding the prevalence of MEC among MiSGT considering different populations and anatomical sites may be useful for future research and public policies regarding this disease.…”