Prognosis of Pediatric Patients With Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the prognosis of pediatric patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the parotid gland. METHODS: Pediatric patients with MEC of parotid gland who were surgically treated at the Capital Medical University School of Stomatology from 2000 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics, pathology reports, and operation records were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 33 patients with an average age of 13.2 years were enrolled. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 95.8% and 84.4%, respectively. The disease-free survival and overall survival rates were lower in the under-10 age group (75.0 versus 87.7% and 83.3% versus 100%), though no statistically significant difference was found (P = 0.279 and P = 0.075). The patients who underwent complete resection all had a good prognosis without any recurrence or death regardless of whether the cut margin was 1.0 cm, 0.5 cm, or only extracapsular. One patient experienced 3 recurrences within 18 months and eventually died of disease. CONCLUSION: Good outcomes were achieved in pediatric patients with MEC of the parotid gland. Radical resection ensured a good prognosis regardless of the extent of resection. Frequent recurrence in a short period was associated with a poor prognosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: None.