Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck: clinicopathologic analysis of 218 cases in a Chinese population.

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck (ACCHN). Study Design This was a retrospective study of 218 patients with ACCHN. Results The cohort included 110 men and 108 women; the parotid and the palate were the most common site of involvement. Of 203 patients with follow-up information (range 2-132 months), 57 had died of the tumor. Distant metastasis (DM) and local recurrence (LR) were documented in 83 (40.9%) and 34 (16.7%) patients, respectively. Cox regression analysis indicated that a solid pattern was a marker for LR and that positive margins and older age were risk factors for DM. Histologic pattern, T stage, N stage, LR, DM, and patient age contributed to the prediction of disease-specific survival. Conclusions A solid pattern, metastasis, LR, and older age are the most important factors for predicting poor prognosis in Chinese patients with ACCHN.