Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of 199 Salivary Acinic Cell Carcinoma

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic features of acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) of the salivary gland.

One Hundred Ninety-nine cases of AciCC were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were systematically collected. Recurrence-free survival, metastases-free survival, and overall survival of patients with different clinical variables were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox univariate regression.

A total of 199 patients were included (70 men, 129 women; mean age, 44.57 years). The parotid gland was most frequently affected (75.0%), and the majority of patients were asymptomatic (71.36%). Most patients underwent surgical treatment. Follow-up data were available for 155 patients, with a mean duration of 78.42 months. Local recurrence occurred in 11.6% of these patients, regional metastases in 6.5%, and distant metastases in 5.2%. Of the 10 patients with metastases, 4 died of AciCC. Poorer survival was significantly associated with age > 40 years, perineural invasion, neck dissection, and advanced stage (III/IV). Recurrence and metastases were strongly associated with AciCC-related mortality.

Regular follow-up and careful lymph node assessment are critical for patients over 40 years, those with perineural invasion, advanced-stage disease, recurrence, or metastases, as these factors are linked to poorer outcomes in AciCCs.