Head & neck acinar cell carcinoma: a population-based study using the seer registry

A Retrospective Multicenter Italian Analysis of Epidemiological, Clinical and Histopathological Features in a Sample of Patients with Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland

BACKGROUND

The acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) of the parotid gland is a rare tumor with an indolent behavior; however, a subgroup of this tumor presents an aggressive behavior with a tendency to recur. The aim of this multicenter study was to identify and stratify those patients with AciCC at high risk of tumor recurrence.

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out involving 77 patients treated with surgery between January 2000 and September 2022, in different Italian referral centers. Data about tumor characteristics and its recurrence were collected. The histological specimens and slides were independently reviewed by a senior pathologist coordinator (L.C.) and the institution's local head and neck pathologist.

RESULTS

The patients' age average was 53.6 years, with a female prevalence in the group. The mean follow-up was 67.4 months (1-258, SD 59.39). The five-year overall survival (OS) was 83.2%. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 60% (95% CI 58.2-61.7). A high incidence of necrosis, extraglandular spread, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), atypical mitosis, and cellular pleomorphism was observed in the high-risk tumors compared to the low-risk ones.

CONCLUSION

AciCC generally had an indolent behavior, optimal OS, DFS with few cervical node metastases, and rare distant relapses. This multicenter retrospective case series provides evidence of the need for clinical-epidemiological-histological stratification for patients at risk of poor outcomes. Our results suggest that the correct definition of high-risk AciCC should include tumor size, the presence of necrosis, extraglandular spread, LVI, atypical mitosis, and cellular pleomorphism.

A novel postoperative nomogram and risk classification system for individualized estimation of survival among patients with parotid gland carcinoma after surgery

BACKGROUND

Parotid gland carcinoma (PGC) is a rare but aggressive head and neck cancer, and the prognostic model associated with survival after surgical resection has not yet been established. This study aimed to construct a novel postoperative nomogram and risk classification system for the individualized prediction of overall survival (OS) among patients with resected PGC.

METHODS

Patients with PGC who underwent surgery between 2004 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were randomized into training and validation cohorts (7:3). A nomogram developed using independent prognostic factors based on the results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), time-dependent area under the curve (AUC), and calibration plots were used to validate the performance of the nomogram. Moreover, decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to compare the clinical use of the nomogram with that of traditional TNM staging.

RESULTS

In this study, 5077 patients who underwent surgery for PGC were included. Age, sex, marital status, tumor grade, histology, TNM stage, surgery type, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors. Based on these independent factors, a postoperative nomogram was developed. The C-index of the proposed nomogram was 0.807 (95% confidence interval 0.797-0.817). Meanwhile, the time-dependent AUC (> 0.8) indicated that the nomogram had a satisfactory discriminative ability. The calibration curves showed good concordance between the predicted and actual probabilities of OS, and DCA curves indicated that the nomogram had a better clinical application value than the traditional TNM staging. Moreover, a risk classification system was built that could perfectly classify patients with PGC into three risk groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study constructed a novel postoperative nomogram and corresponding risk classification system to predict the OS of patients with PGC after surgery. These tools can be used to stratify patients with high or low risk of mortality and provide high-risk patients with more directed therapies and closer follow-up.

Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands: A Systematic Review

A systematic review was carried out to evaluate if adjuvant radiotherapy for acinic cell carcinomas (ACCs) of salivary glands improves survival. Twelve retrospective studies published between 2000 and 2020 that analysed the effect of radiotherapy on salivary gland neoplasms and ACCs of salivary glands and met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. The overall quality of the studies was moderate to low. There was no high-quality evidence for improved survival with radiotherapy for ACCs of the salivary gland. Some evidence suggests that there may be an advantage for patients with high-grade tumours, but these data should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of patients and low-quality evidence. Good quality of evidence is lacking. Recommendation for adjuvant radiotherapy for tumours with poor prognostic factors will require discussion and shared decision-making with the patients.

Acinic Cell Carcinoma in the 21st Century: A Population-Based Study from the SEER Database and Review of Recent Molecular Genetic Advances

BACKGROUND

Acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) comprises 6-7% of all salivary gland neoplasms and is the second most common salivary gland malignancy in children. Like many salivary gland carcinomas, it is considered low grade but occasionally it behaves aggressively. Understanding the risk factors associated with recurrence, metastasis, and death is important to determine the counseling and management of individual patients. Older population-based studies are presumed to have been confounded by the misclassification of other neoplasms as AciCC, in particular secretory carcinoma and cystadenocarcinoma. Since diagnostic tools to reliably separate these entities have been available for over a decade, reevaluation of epidemiologic data limited to the 21st century should allow a better characterization of the clinicopathological characteristics of AciCC.

METHODS

Our study extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for the period 2000 to 2018. Cox regression model analysis was performed to identify risk factors independently affecting survival.

RESULTS

Data for 2226 patients with AciCC were extracted from the database. Most patients were females: 59%, and white: 80.5%, with a mean age at diagnosis of 51.2 (SD ± 18.7) years. Most cases (81%) were localized at presentation. Tumor size was less than 2 cm in 42%, 2-4 cm in 47%, and >4 cm in 11%. Low-grade tumors had 5-year survival > 90%, whereas high-grade tumors had survival < 50%. Of the patients with known lymph node status only 7.3% had nodal metastases. Distant metastases were documented in 1.1%, involving lungs 44%, bone 40%, liver 12%, and brain 4%. The most common treatment modality was surgery alone: 63.6% followed by surgery and adjuvant radiation: 33%. A few received chemotherapy (1.8%) or multimodality therapy (1.2%). The 5-year overall survival rate was 90.6% (95%CI 89.1-91.9), and disease-specific survival was 94.6% (95%CI 93.3-95.6). Multivariable cox regression analysis showed that undifferentiated (HR = 8.3) and poorly differentiated tumor grade (HR = 6.4), and metastasis (HR = 5.3) were the worst independent prognostic factors. Other poor risk factors included age > 50 (HR = 3.5) and tumor size > 4 cm (HR = 2.5).

CONCLUSIONS

In the US, AciCC is more common in middle age white females, and most tumors are less than 4 cm and localized at diagnosis. The most relevant negative prognostic factor was high tumor grade which was associated with higher hazard ratios for death than all other variables, including regional or distant metastases at presentation.

Acinic cell carcinoma of the oral and maxillofacial region: an international multicenter study

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence, clinicopathological, and prognostic features of acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) of the oral and maxillofacial region. AciCC cases were retrospectively retrieved from 11 pathology centers of three different countries. Medical records were examined to extract demographic, clinical, pathologic, and follow-up information. A total of 75 cases were included. Females (65.33%) with a mean age of 45.51 years were mostly affected. The lesions usually presented as an asymptomatic (64.28%) nodule (95.66%) in the parotid gland (70.68%). The association of two histopathological patterns was the most common finding (48.93%) and the tumors presented mainly conventional histopathological grades (86.11%). Surgical treatment was performed in the majority of the cases (59.19%). Local recurrence was observed in 20% of the informed cases, regional metastasis in 30.43%, and distant metastasis in 12.50%. The statistical analysis showed that the cases with a solid histopathological pattern (p=0.01), high-grade transformation (p=0.008), recurrence (p=0.007), and regional metastasis (p=0.03) were associated with poor survival. In conclusion, high histopathological transformation, presence of nodal metastasis, and recurrence were prognostic factors for AciCC of the oral and maxillofacial region.

Survival outcomes, prognostic factors, and effect of adjuvant radiotherapy and prophylactic neck dissection in salivary acinic cell carcinoma: A prospective multicenter REFCOR study of 187 patients

BACKGROUND

Acinic cell carcinomas (AciCCs) are malignant tumours of the salivary glands. The aim of this work was to analyse data from the national REFCOR multicenter cohort (i) to investigate the prognostic factors influencing survival outcomes in AciCC, (ii) to assess the impact on survival of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) in patients treated for AciCC without high-grade transformation and (iii) to explore the prognostic impact of prophylactic neck dissection (ND) in patients treated for AciCC of the major salivary glands.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data from all the patients treated for salivary AciCC between 2009 and 2020 were extracted from the REFCOR database. Survival outcomes and prognostic factors influencing Disease-Free Survival (DFS) and Overall Survival (OS) were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Propensity score matching was used to assess the impact of postoperative RT and prophylactic ND on DFS.

RESULTS

A total of 187 patients were included. After a median follow-up of 53 months, their 5-year OS and DFS rates were 92.8% and 76.2%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, male sex, older age, higher T and N status, and high grade were independently associated with a worse DFS. In the subpopulation analysed after propensity score matching, patients with cN0 AciCC without high-grade transformation who were treated by surgery and RT did not have an improved DFS compared to patients who were treated by surgery alone (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.87, p = 0.8). Factors associated with nodal invasion were T3-T4 status and intermediate/high histological grade. After propensity score matching, prophylactic ND was associated with a trend toward a better DFS (HR = 0.46, p = 0.16).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that (i) long-term follow-up (>5 years) should be considered in patients with AciCC, (ii) treatment by surgery alone could be an option in selected cN0 patients with AciCC without high-grade transformation and (iii) prophylactic ND may be considered preferentially in patients with T3-T4 status and/or intermediate/high histological grade.

Head and Neck Acinic Cell Carcinoma: A New Grading System Proposal and Diagnostic Utility of NR4A3 Immunohistochemistry

Acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) is traditionally considered as a low-grade salivary gland carcinoma. However, a subset demonstrates high-grade features with a higher mortality rate and distant metastasis. In this large retrospective study of 117 cases, we aimed to establish a histologic grading scheme for AciCC. Adverse independent prognostic factors identified on the multivariate analysis included older age, tumor necrosis, nuclear anaplasia, lymphovascular invasion, absence of tumor-associated lymphoid stroma, and high American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) pT and pN stages. A 3-tiered grading scheme using 4 pathologic parameters (mitotic index, necrosis, tumor border, and fibrosis at the frankly invasive front) was subsequently applied. Compared with low/intermediate-grade, high-grade AciCC defined as a mitotic index ≥5/10 HPFs and/or necrosis was an independently adverse prognostic factor. The 5-year overall survival was 50% in high-grade AciCCs, and 100% in low-grade or intermediate-grade AciCCs. Compared with low-grade or intermediate-grade AciCC, high-grade tumors were associated with older age, larger tumor size, focal rather than diffuse zymogen granules, solid architecture, infiltrative tumor border, fibrosis at the frankly invasive front, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, positive margin, high pT, and pN stages. NR4A3 was a highly sensitive and specific immunohistochemical stain for diagnosing AciCC with a sensitivity and specificity of 96% and 93%, respectively. In conclusion, although we proposed a 2-tiered grading system for AciCC with high-grade tumors defined by a mitotic count ≥5/10 HPFs and/or necrosis, more studies are needed to assess the prognostic value of intermediate grade. NR4A3 immunohistochemical stain is a useful diagnostic marker for AciCC.

Malignant Myoepithelioma of the Head and Neck: Demographics, Clinicopathological Characteristics, Treatment, and Prognosis

Malignant myoepithelioma of the head and neck (HNMM) is a rare malignancy, and its characteristics and survival rates have not been well-defined. This study aimed to define the epidemiology of HNMM and identify the prognostic factors associated with the disease. Data on all patients diagnosed with HNMM between 1991 and 2016 were gathered from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment, and prognoses of the patients were described. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the prognostic factors, and the prognostic nomograms for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were constructed. A total of 333 cases of HNMM were identified. The average age at diagnosis was 60.6 years, and 50.1% of the patients were men. After diagnosis, 46.2% of patients underwent surgery alone, 43.5% of patients underwent surgery and radiotherapy, and 3.6% of patients received only radiotherapy. Survival analysis showed that the 5-year OS and DSS for all HNMM patients were 69.7 and 82.1%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis model, the undifferentiated pathological grade (P <0.05) and M1 in the M category (P <0.01) were independent prognostic factors for poor OS and DSS, whereas the use of surgical resection was an independent favorable prognostic factor for both OS and DSS (P <0.05). The prognostic nomograms for OS and DSS prediction were constructed; the C-index values for OS and DSS prediction were 0.78 (95% CI 0.70–0.86) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.67–0.90), respectively. In conclusion, this SEER data-based study demonstrated that HNMM patients often had a favorable prognosis, and distant metastasis, pathological grade, and the use of surgery contributed to their survival. Furthermore, we developed a prognostic nomogram to predict OS and DSS for HNMM patients to aid physicians in the clinical management of this rare disease.

Prognostic factors in acinic cell carcinoma of the head and neck: The Amsterdam experience

INTRODUCTION

The aim was to analyse prognosticators in acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) in two head and neck referral centers in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty- nine cases of AciCC treated between 1979 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Five, - 10 -and 20- year estimates of survival were executed as well as univariate analysis of prognosticators.

RESULTS

The majority of AciCC were T1-T2; 89%. Two percent had nodal disease (2%). The most affected organ was the parotid gland (84%) with a female preponderance (67%). Mean age was 52 years with most cases diagnosed in the fourth to sixth decade. The majority of patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Elective neck dissection (END) in the N0 neck showed no metastases. High grade transformation (HGT) was found in 21% of cases. Median follow up was 101.9 months. Median time to recurrence was 26 months. Nine patients developed distant metastases (DM) of whom 6 had HGT-AciCC. Median survival with DM was 7 months. Five,- ten -and twenty- year estimates were 84%, 81% and 81% for recurrence free survival respectively. Negative clinical features were advanced stage disease and tumour size > 2.6 cm. Negative histological features were a high mitotic rate, HGT, close and involved surgical margins and necrosis.

CONCLUSION

AciCC- HGT excluded- of the head and neck has an excellent prognosis and shows acceptable long term results. END can be considered as part of the standard treatment due to the relative high incidence of HGT- AciCC and low accuracy of cytology.

Survival and risk factors of adenosquamous carcinoma in the oral and maxillofacial region: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

The features and prognosis of adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) in oral and maxillofacial region have not thoroughly investigated, the purpose of this study is to describe clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, and prognostic factors of this disease.

METHODS

The data of 276 patients diagnosed with ASC in oral and maxillofacial region between 1975 and 2016 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The prognostic factors influencing overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were identified by the Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis. The nomograms for OS and DSS were constructed to predict the prognosis of these patients.

RESULTS

Of 276 included patients, 62.7% were male and 37.3% were female, with an average age at diagnosis of 63.5 years. The most common primary site is oral cavity (170/276), followed by salivary gland (106/276). The 3-, and 5-year OS of patients with ASC in oral and maxillofacial region were 49.0% and 38.9%, while the 3-, and 5-year DSS were 67.7%, and 60.4%, respectively. Patients who underwent surgery had longer OS (mOS: 58 m vs. 8 m) and DSS (mDSS: 193 m vs. 18 m) than those who did not. Age, AJCC-T/N/M category as well as surgery were independently associated with OS. Advanced T stage, distant metastases, and surgery were independent factors for DSS. The prognostic nomograms for OS and DSS were constructed, and the C-indexes were 0.71 (95% CI 0.66-0.76) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.67-0.85), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Surgery was the favorable prognostic factor for both OS and DSS among patients with ASC in oral and maxillofacial region.

NR4A3 (NOR-1) Immunostaining Shows Better Performance than DOG1 Immunostaining in Acinic Cell Carcinoma of Salivary Gland: a Preliminary Study

Objectives

Acinic cell carcinoma of salivary gland harbours recurrent and specific chromosomal rearrangement [t(4;9)(q13;q31)], resulting in the translocation of secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein gene cluster at 4q13 to nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group a member 3 at 9q31. This upregulates the transcription factor nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3, which can be detected by immunohistochemistry. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the performance of nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 immunostaining on whole-slide acinic cell carcinoma tissue, in comparison with discovered on GIST-1 immunostaining.

Material and Methods

We retrieved 6 cases of acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC), including 5 conventional low-grade and 1 dedifferentiated high-grade. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (NR4A3) and discovered on GIST-1 (DOG1) were performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on all retrieved cases.

Results

The result shows that NR4A3 IHC shows better performance than DOG1 IHC: 5 of the 6 (83.3%) AciCC cases (including the dedifferentiated high-grade) demonstrated strong diffuse nuclear staining for NR4A3, also five AciCC cases (including the dedifferentiated high-grade) demonstrated weak to moderate membranous staining with variable distribution for DOG1. Moreover, only 3 (50%) cases showed complete membranous staining with DOG1.

Conclusions

This pilot study showed that nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 immunostaining is a sensitive marker for acinic cell carcinoma and of better utility than discovered on GIST-1 immunostaining in making a diagnosis of acinic cell carcinoma.

Clinicopathological analysis of oral and maxillofacial acinic cell carcinoma: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present systematic review was to analyze the available data regarding acinic cell carcinoma of the oral and maxillofacial region.

METHODS

A search strategy was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase electronic databases.

RESULTS

Available data revealed a slight female preference (54.73%) and a mean age at diagnosis of 47.51 ± 19.85 years. The parotid glands (67.72%) were most frequently affected, and most cases were asymptomatic (69.54%). A microcystic histopathological pattern was reported in 21.56% of the cases, and the Periodic acid-Schiff was the staining method most frequently used, after the hematoxylin and eosin staining, in the tumors analyzed. The lesions were mainly treated by surgical removal (72.32%). Recurrence was reported in 81 cases (27.83%) and metastasis in 100 (42.91%). Statistical data analysis revealed that tumors located in major salivary glands and exhibiting high-grade histology were associated with local recurrence (P = .01). In addition, the patients older than 57 years, lesions with bone involvement, the high-grade tumors and the cases with a history of recurrence and metastasis were associated with a lower overall survival (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

By assembling all eligible cases in the literature, the present systematic review determined the most common clinicopathological profile of acinic cell carcinoma and the most relevant prognostic factors in a distinctly representative sample. The survey demonstrated the importance of considering the histopathological grading in order to better define the treatment for each case.