Abstract
BackgroundThe optimal treatment for pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), a rare type of tumor, has not been established yet. This study analyzed the survival of pulmonary MEC patients and attempted to find clues for optimal treatment.MethodsA total of 21 patients with pulmonary MEC from November 2004 to January 2011 were included in the investigation. Immunohistochemistry, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, and survival were retrospectively studied.ResultsAmong the 21 pulmonary MEC patients, 17 were diagnosed with low-grade malignancy and 4 with high-grade malignancy through pathological examination. The prognosis was found to be poor in the presence of lymph nodes. The expression rates of EGFR and HER2 were 28.6% and 0%, respectively, which correlated with neither grade nor prognosis. The mutation rate of EGFR was 0. Log-rank test results indicated that age, grade, lymph node metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis stage were prognostic factors.ConclusionAge, grade, lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis stage correlate with the survival of pulmonary MEC patients.Trial registrationThis study was approved and registered by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to treatment.
Highlights
The optimal treatment for pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), a rare type of tumor, has not been established yet
Immunohistochemistry, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation analysis Patients who presented with pathologically confirmed primary pulmonary MEC at the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital between November 2004 and January 2011 were enrolled in this study
Postoperative pathology showed low-grade MEC in 17 patients and high-grade MEC in 4 patients (Figure 1) according to the criteria described by Yousem and Hochholzer [6]
Summary
The optimal treatment for pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), a rare type of tumor, has not been established yet. This study analyzed the survival of pulmonary MEC patients and attempted to find clues for optimal treatment. Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is rare, accounting for approximately 0.2% of all malignant lung tumors [1]. This tumor is believed to be indolent; little is known about its clinical features because of the low incidence rate. Treatment involving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) showed promising outcome for MEC patients [3].
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