Comparative impact of grade on mortality across salivary cancers: A novel, unifying staging system.

Background: The comparative impact of histologic variants and grade has not been well described.

Methods: Salivary cancer histologies were profiled using hospital and population-based cancer registries. Multivariable models were employed to assess relationships between histology, grade, and survival.

Results: On univariate analysis, histologic variants exhibited a wide spectrum of mortality risk (5-year overall survival (OS): 86% (acinic cell carcinoma), 78% (mucoepidermoid carcinoma), 72% (adenoid cystic carcinoma), 64% (carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma), 52% (adenocarcinoma NOS), and 47% (salivary duct carcinoma) (p < 0.001). However, on multivariable analysis these differences largely vanished. Worsening grade corresponded with deteriorating survival (5-year OS: 89% [low-grade], 81% [intermediate-grade], 45% [high-grade]; p < 0.001), which was upheld on multivariable analysis and propensity score matching. Recursive partitioning analysis generated TNM + G schema (c-index 0.75) superior to the existing system (c-index 0.73).

Conclusion: Grade represents a primary determinant of salivary cancer prognosis. Integrating grade into stage strengthens current staging systems.