Head and Neck Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma: Does AFIP Histological Grading Correlate with Rate of Nodal Metastases?

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the presentation of head and neck mucoepidermoid carcinoma at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and identify the significance of AFIP histological grading on the risk of neck metastasis and cancer free survival.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study is a retrospective cohort analysis of patients treated for head and neck mucoepidermoid carcinoma at the RMH between 2005 and 2022. Patient demographics, treatment, pathology, in particular the AFIP histological grading of the primary tumour, and outcomes were collected and tabulated. Time to recurrence was recorded, and survival outcomes were calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. Comparisons were made on different histological grading and regional metastases.RESULTS:Thirty-three patients were identified and thirty met the inclusion criteria. There was an age range of 18-77 years (median 54 years) with no significant sex difference. Our patients had a 94% 5-year survival and an 86% 10-year survival. Thirteen patients had elective neck dissection and 2 out of 13 (15%) of the patients had positive neck disease. Of the two patients with regional metastasis, the primary tumour was graded as intermediate and low grade. No high-grade MEC patients had regional metastasis.CONCLUSION:Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck is associated with a good disease-specific and overall survival despite the presence of regional metastasis. The AFIP histological grading system did not have a statistically significant correlation to the incidence of nodal metastasis.