Prognostic significance of EGFR, p53 and E-cadherin in mucoepidermoid cancer of the salivary glands: a retrospective case series.

Objective: Evaluate the prognostic significance of EGFR, p53 and E-cadherin known, along with histopathologic criteria, in mucoepidermoid cancer (MEC) of the salivary glands.

Materials & Methods: Retrospective case series review between January 1994 and December 2002 of all patients with salivary glands mucoepidermoid cancer treated at one university hospital. Histopathology review and immunohistochemistry study for EGFR, p53 and E-cadherin was undertaken on formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded surgical specimens. Clinicopathological parameters were reviewed and survival analysis was conducted to study the prognostic significance of these factors.

Settings: All patients were treated by the same multidisciplinary team which included three head and neck surgeons, one plastic surgeon, two medical oncologists and one radiation oncologist at Hôtel-Dieu de France, a tertiary care university hospital of Saint-Joseph University, Beirut-Lebanon.

Results: Thirteen patients were treated for MEC during this period. The parotid gland was the most common site. Mean survival in this series was 61 +/- 8 months (95% CI = 46-77 months). Positive lymph nodes status was a significant predictor of poor survival. EGFR and p53 were correlated to histological grade. EGFR tended also to be more elevated in major salivary gland tumors.

Conclusion: EGFR and p53 expressions were highly correlated to high histological grade, making them an interesting target for further investigation as prognostic factors in MEC.