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Published on: July 15, 2019
Epithelial salivary glands neoplasms in children and adolescents: a forty-four-year experience
Karina de Cássia Braga Ribeiro1, Luiz Paulo Kowalski, Leda Maria Buazar Saba
1Hospital Cancer Registry Coordinator, Centro de Tratamento e Pesquisa Hospital do Câncer A. C. Camargo, R. Prof. Antonio Prudente, 211 São Paulo-SP, CEP 01509-900 Brazil.
Insights
Epithelial salivary gland tumors are rare in children, with pleomorphic adenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma being most common. Surgery offers high cure rates, but radiotherapy requires careful consideration due to potential long-term side effects in young patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Head and Neck Surgery
- Pathology
Background:
- Epithelial neoplasms of salivary gland origin are uncommon in pediatric populations.
- A 44-year review identified 38 cases in patients under 19 years old.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the demographic, clinical, and histological characteristics of pediatric epithelial salivary gland neoplasms.
- To evaluate survival outcomes and prognostic factors for these rare tumors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical charts for 38 pediatric patients.
- Descriptive statistics, Student t-test, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were employed.
Main Results:
- The mean age of affected children was 11.8 years, with a female predominance (1.9:1).
- The parotid gland was the most commonly affected site (65.8%).
- Malignant tumors occurred in 27 patients, with mucoepidermoid carcinoma being the most frequent (17 cases). Pleomorphic adenoma was the most common benign tumor (7 cases). Five-year overall survival for malignant tumors was 81.6%.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric epithelial salivary gland tumors are rare, necessitating specialized management.
- Surgical intervention is the primary treatment for achieving high cure rates.
- Radiotherapy indications must be precise due to the risk of long-term side effects in children.
Background:
Epithelial neoplasms of salivary gland origin are relatively uncommon in children and adolescents. Over a 44-year period, there were 38 cases affecting children under 19 years of age in our Pediatric Hospital-Based Tumor Registry.
Procedure:
Medical charts of 38 patients with epithelial neoplasms of salivary glands were reviewed. Data collected included demographic, clinical, and histological characteristics. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Student t-test, and Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.
Results:
The mean age was 11.8 years. There was a female preponderance of 1.9:1. The parotid gland was affected in most cases (65.8%). Twenty-seven patients had malignant tumors and eleven patients presented benign neoplasms. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most frequent benign tumor (7 out of 11) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most frequent malignancy (17 out of 27). Five-year overall survival rate was 81.6% for patients with malignant tumors. Grade of differentiation was the only significant prognostic factor for patients with mucoepidermoid carcinomas.
Conclusions:
Epithelial salivary gland tumors are very rare in children. Surgery is the best option to achieve high cure rates and radiotherapy must have precise indications because of their long-term side effects in young age.
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