Survival Outcomes and Factors Affecting Prognosis in Patients with Head and Neck Region Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Treated with Adjuvant Radiotherapy

Aim: This study aims to ascertain the clinical and pathological factors linked to the outcomes of patients subjected to surgical intervention and postoperative radiotherapy for mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) originating from both major and minor salivary glands in the head and neck region. Material and Method: In this retrospective review, medical records of 42 patients who underwent surgery and subsequent radiotherapy for localized MEC in the major and minor salivary glands of the head and neck were analyzed to identify clinicopathological determinants of overall survival. Secondary endpoints encompassed local-regional control, distant metastasis-free survival, and disease-free survival. Results: The median age of the patient cohort was 56 years, comprising 52.4% males and 47.6% females. The median follow-up period spanned 36 months, with a range of 6 to 88 months. All patients underwent curative surgery, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. The 2-year and 5-year rates for overall survival (OS), local-regional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were 92% and 72.6%, 92.2% and 85.6%, 84.8% and 73%, 82% and 67.3%, respectively. Notably, only histologic grade emerged as a statistically significant prognostic factor, influencing both OS (p=0.019), DMFS (p=0.014), and DFS (p=0.044). Conclusion: The histologic grade of the tumor is the foremost determinant impacting the outcomes of MEC cases. Adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended for high-grade tumors, while its application for low-grade and intermediate-grade tumors should be individualized based on the anticipated risk of recurrence. This underscores the significance of tailoring treatment approaches according to histologic characteristics.