Minor Salivary Gland Carcinoma of the Oropharynx: A Population-Based Analysis of 1426 Patients

Objective: We sought to describe the patient, tumor, and survival characteristics of minor salivary gland carcinoma (MSGC) of the oropharynx using a large, population-based database. Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database (Surveillance, Epidemiology. and End Results). Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the SEER database for all cases of MSGC of the oropharynx from 1988 to 2013. Relevant demographic, clinicopathologic, and survival variables were extracted and analyzed. Cox multivariate regression was performed to identify prognostic factors. Results: We identified 1426 cases of MSGC of the oropharynx (mean age, 58 years; 51% female). The soft palate (39.2%) and base of tongue (38.6%) were the most commonly involved sites. The most common histologic subtypes were mucoepidermoid carcinoma (32.1%), adenocarcinoma (25.9%), and adenoid cystic carcinoma (23.3%). Five- and 10-year rates of disease-specific survival were 75.1% and 61.6%, respectively. Independent prognostic factors included tumor grade, T stage, N stage, and age >70 years. Conclusions: This study represents the largest multivariate survival analysis of MSGC of the oropharynx to date. Independent prognosticators include tumor grade, T stage, N stage, and age.