[Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung. A series of 10 cases]

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung is rare. The microscopic findings distinguish low grade and high grade tumors. Conservative surgical resection is appropriate if possible for low grade tumors. For the high grade tumors, combined wide surgical resection and radiotherapy is recommended. We report 10 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung (5 low grade, 5 high grade) in 8 male and 2 female patients with a mean age of 43.9 years. Only 5 of 10 were smokers. All 10 patients underwent surgery. Operative procedures included 8 lobectomies and 2 pneumonectomies. Two patients received radiation therapy postoperatively. Three patients (2 high grade and 1 low grade) died. The other 7 patients were alive without evidence of recurrence.