OBJECTIVETo study the clinico pathologic factors influencing postoperative survival rate in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands.

METHODSA retrospective study of seventy patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands has been carried out. All cases underwent primary surgical resection in our hospital were followed up and clinicopathologic factors influencing the postoperative survival rate of patients were investigated. Statistical analysis was conducted using a computer program (SPSS). The data were statistically treated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. The Log rank tests were employed to assess the statistical significance of various groups.

RESULTSThe 3-, 5- and 10-year overall survival rate were 90.66%, 88.85% and 86.63%, respectively. The patients with tumors' diameter less than 4 cm, early clinical stage (stage I and II), well differentiated tumor cells, without lymph nodes involvement, without local recurrence and metastasis after primary surgical resection had a long survival term. The patients with tumors' diameter more than 4 cm, with lymph nodes involvement, advanced clinical stage (stage III and IV), poor differentiated, with local recurrence and metastasis after primary surgical resection demonstrated a short survival term.

CONCLUSIONTNM and clinical stage, the degree of differentiation, with or without local recurrence and metastasis after primary surgical resection are the important factors influencing the postoperative survival time.