Background: To determine the effects of patient demographics, socioeconomic status (SES) and clinical variables on outcomes for patients with salivary and parotid gland tumors.
Methods: Florida cancer registry and inpatient hospital data were queried for cancer of the salivary glands diagnosed between 1998-2002.
Results: A total of 1573 patients were identified. Women were diagnosed at a younger age (median age (years): women 60.8 versus men 64.3, P=0.003). Men were more often diagnosed with high grade tumors (65.1% versus 41.9% for women, P<0.001) and advanced disease stage (>stage III: 60.2 versus 49.4%, P<0.001), but underwent surgical extirpation and received radiation at equal rates compared with women. Overall 5-year survival rates was superior in women (67.4% versus 55.6%, P=0.001). By multivariate analysis, adjusted for patient comorbidities, age over 65 (HR 3.43 P=0.008), advanced disease stage (HR 8.05 P<0.001), and high tumor grade (HR 2.33, P<0.001) were independent predictors of worse prognosis. Improved outcomes were observed for female gender (HR 0.68, P=0.011). Tumors located in the parotid gland (HR 0.631 P=0.003) and receiving both surgical extirpation and radiation were predictors of improved survival.
Conclusion: Salivary gland tumors carry a worse prognosis than tumors of the parotid. Male patients have worse outcomes.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.