Adenosquamous carcinoma of the head and neck: epidemiological features and outcome analysis

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/Objective Adenosquamous carcinoma (ADSC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy that commonly arises in the lung, pancreas, and genitourinary tract. It has rarely been reported to arise in the head and neck area. Histologically, this entity comprises two distinct components: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma, with each component comprising at least 10% of the tumor mass. Due to its rarity, the epidemiological features, and patient outcomes of ADSC in the head and neck region have not been studied. Methods/Case Report Here, we have used the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database to query the data of all head and neck ADSC cases. Cases with only histological evidence of diagnosis were included in the study. We used descriptive statistics to show all patients' epidemiological and management features. Kaplan-Meier curves, cox proportional regression, and multivariate regression analysis were used to evaluate how patient outcomes are affected by the age of diagnosis, sex, race, tumor grade, and management. All data were analyzed in SPSS v.25 (IBM, NY). Results (if a Case Study enter NA) We identified two hundred and twenty-three cases of ADSC of head and neck with histological diagnostic evidence. The distribution of age at diagnosis was unimodal, with most patients being diagnosed before the age of 50 years. Most patients were Caucasian and male. The majority of tumors were graded as poorly differentiated, with the salivary gland and larynx being the most common two sites. We also found that surgical management of the primary site significantly improved the outcome. Other variables such as age at diagnosis, race, sex, tumor grade, and the site did not affect the disease-specific survival of the patients. Conclusion Our study highlights this rare entity's relevant pathological, epidemiological, and outcome features and helps us understand this neoplasm better.