Original Articles Prognostic Factors Affecting the Clinical Outcome of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Background: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon tumor, constituting approxi-mately 10 % of all head and neck tumors. Classically, ACC has been described as a tumor with indolent, but persistent and recurrent, growth and late onset of metastases, leading even-tually to death. This study assessed the prognostic factors affecting the clinical outcome in patients with ACC in the head and neck region. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 42 patients who underwent primary tumor resection or radiotherapy with curative intent and evaluated the clinical parameters, treatment and clinical outcomes. Results: Forty-two patients (18 males and 24 females with a median age of 65 years) received curative treatment. The overall 3- and 5-year survival was 87.4 % and 55.3%, respectively, whereas the 3- and 5-year disease-free survival was 64.3 % and 36.1%, respect-ively. Of the 32 patients in whom recurrence could be evaluated, 18 (56.3%) developed distant metastases, with the lung (72.2%) being the most common site. Perivascular invasion influenced metastasis to the lung with borderline significance (P 0.053). The recurrence rate was higher (P 0.045) in patients with high-grade tumor. The status of lymph nod