PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN MUCOEPIDERMOID CARCINOMAS OF MAJOR SALIVARY-GLANDS - A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL AND FLOW CYTOMETRIC STUDY

Mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) of the major salivary glands from 48 p atients who received their treatment at a single institution were stud ied for prognostic indicators. Uni- and multivariate statistical analy ses were performed on several clinicopathologic factors and also on fl ow cytometric (FCM) DNA content data of the carcinomas. Clinical progn ostic factors associated with decreased survival included age >60 year s (P=0.01), male gender (P=0.002), symptoms at diagnosis (P=0.03), sta ge of disease (P less than or equal to 0.0001), type of surgery (P=0.0 006), and recurrence (P=0.0001). Histopathological prognostic factors associated with decreased survival included MEC tumour grade (P=0.0001 ), tumour size > 3.0 cm (P=0.02), lymph node involvement (P=0.0004) an d positive surgical margins (P=0.007). DNA FCM factors associated with decreased survival included aneuploid tumours (P=0.08) and proliferat ive activity (S+G(2)M > 5%, P=0.07). Multivariate analysis indicated t hat histological grade, proliferative activity, symptoms at diagnosis, clinical stage of disease and type of surgery were significant (P les s than or equal to 0.05) prognostic/survival factors in the biological assessment of this neoplasm.