Survival and characteristics of pediatric salivary gland cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for studies from 2000 to 2017 including children aged 0-19 with salivary gland cancer was performed. In 19 studies, 749 children (median age of 14.2 years, female to male ratio of 1.4:1) were included; 72% had parotid tumors and 95% underwent surgery, of whom 65% had surgery alone and 24% with adjuvant radiotherapy. Low-grade and stage mucoepidermoid carcinoma were the most frequent cancer. The 5-year overall- and disease-free survival was 94% and 83%. Recurrence was observed in 20% at a median of 1.1 years from diagnosis.