Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma: A clinicopathological study of 45 patients

Abstract

Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) is uncommon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features, diagnostic criteria, treatment options, and prognostic factors relating to primary PMEC. Clinical data on 45 patients with primary PMEC were collected and analyzed retrospectively at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and the First People’ Hospital of Longquanyi District Chengdu from January 2008 to December 2020. The 45 patients (25 males and 20 females) ranged in age from 22 to 72 years, with a median age of 49 and an average age of 47.7. All the patients underwent surgery, with 32 receiving only surgery and 13 receiving both surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. A total of 34 instances of low-grade tumors and 11 cases of high-grade tumors were discovered during postoperative pathological diagnosis. Forty-five patients were followed for 13 to 78 months, and four died during this period. In all four instances, a lung infection unrelated to the tumor was determined to be the cause of death. The MAML2 gene translocation was detected in 40 of 45 patients, with 34 of them testing positive. Radical surgery with lymph node dissection is an efficient treatment for PMEC. The prognosis is poor for patients with advanced disease, a negative MAML2 gene translocation, lymph node metastases, and high-grade tumors.