Signs and Symptoms - Presents as painless, slow-growing mass that is firm or hard. - Most appear clinically as mixed tumors. - Usually occurs at 30–50 years of age. - More predilection towards female sex.

Diagnosis - Histology: - Tumor is not encapsulated. - Characterised by squamous cells, mucus-secreting cells, and intermediate cells. - Molecular biology: - Mucoepidermoid carcinomas have a recurrent chromosomal translocation resulting in a MECT1-MAML2 fusion gene. - The fusion gene involves the CREB-binding domain of the CREB coactivator MECT1 and the transactivation domain of the Notch coactivator MAML2. - Possible association with papillomavirus reported.

Prognosis - Generally, low-grade tumors have a good prognosis. - High-grade tumors have a poor prognosis. - Recent research suggests that recurring low-grade tumors also have a poor prognosis.

Treatment - Surgery is recommended for localised resectable disease. - Post-operative radiotherapy can provide local control comparable to complete resection when the tumor is incompletely resected. - Palliative radiotherapy may be helpful in cases where surgery is not possible or declined by the patient. - Chemotherapy response tends to be low and short-lived in patients with metastatic disease.

Epidemiology - Occurs in adults, with peak incidence from 20–40 years of age. - A causal link with cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been strongly implicated in a 2011 research. - Relative incidence of mucoepidermoid carcinoma is shown in parotid and submandibular tumors.