Adenosquamous carcinoma of the head and neck: report of 20 cases and review of the literature

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013 Sep;116(3):313-20. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2013.05.003. Epub 2013 Jul 10.

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the clinical profile and prognostic factors in patients with adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) of the head and neck treated by surgery and/or radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.

Methods: Data from 20 patients with stage I-II (n = 4), III (n = 5), or IVA (n = 11) head and neck ASC, treated between 1989 and 2010 were collected in a retrospective multicenter Rare Cancer Network study. Surgery was performed in 16 patients. Seventeen patients received combined modality treatment.

Results: After a median follow-up of 15.5 months, 12 patients recurred. The 3-year and median overall survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and loco-regional control were 52% and 39 months, 32% and 12 months, and 47% and 33 months respectively. In multivariate analysis, DFS was negatively influenced by the presence of extracapsular extension and advanced stage.

Conclusion: Overall prognosis of locoregionally advanced ASC remains poor. However, early stage ASC patients managed with combined modality treatment may have prolonged DFS.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / mortality*
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / therapy
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / therapy
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / mortality*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / therapy
  • Netherlands / epidemiology
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Rare Diseases / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Switzerland / epidemiology
  • Turkey / epidemiology