Survival Analysis and Prognostic Factors for Nasopharyngeal Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma

This study aimed to explore survival outcomes of and prognostic factors in nasopharyngeal mucoepidermoid carcinoma (NPMEC).

We reviewed a total of 57 patients diagnosed with NPMEC, including 19 patients in our center and 38 patients with detailed individual survival data in the literature. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used to assess overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Furthermore, the multivariate survival analysis was evaluated using the Cox regression model.

The average age of the patients was 45.8 years (range 13-71 years), with a male-to-female ratio of 0.84. During the mean follow-up time of 49 months (range, 3-149 months), the OS rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 96.1%, 78.7%, and 62.8%, respectively, and the PFS rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 91.4%, 71.6%, and 51.3%, respectively. The log-rank test showed that lymphatic metastasis affected OS and PFS, while stage T affected PFS. Multivariate regression analysis showed that lymphatic metastasis was associated with worse OS and PFS, that stage T was associated with unfavorable PFS, and that combined therapy improved PFS independently.

Patients with NPMEC have favorable 5 year OS and PFS. Lymphatic metastasis was the independent factor for OS, while lymphatic metastasis, stage T, and treatment modality were the independent factors for PFS.