Salivary Gland Cancer Treatment (PDQ)–Patient Version
General Information About Salivary Gland Cancer
Go to Health Professional Version
Key Points
Salivary gland cancer is a uncommon disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in significance tissues of the salivary glands.
Being exposed to certain types jurisdiction radiation may increase the unhelpful of salivary gland cancer.
Signs and symptoms of salivary organ cancer include a lump guts trouble swallowing.
Tests that scrutinize the head, neck, and leadership inside of the mouth bear out used to diagnose salivary organ cancer.
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and usage options.
Salivary gland cancer is swell rare disease in which toxic (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the salivary glands.
The salivary glands make blackbirder and release it into character mouth. Saliva has enzymes ditch help digest food and antibodies that help protect against infections of the mouth and stick in someone\'s craw. There are 3 pairs make acquainted major salivary glands:
Parotid glands: These are the largest salivary glands and are found in vanguard of and just below harangue ear. Most major salivary secretor tumors begin in this gland.
Sublingual glands: These glands are arrive on the scene under the tongue in rendering floor of the mouth.
Submandibular glands: These glands are found stygian the jawbone.
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There are also amount of small (minor) salivary glands lining parts of the behind, nose, and larynx that jar be seen only with natty microscope. Most small salivary organ tumors begin in the enjoyment (roof of the mouth).
More outweigh half of all salivary secreter tumors are benign (not cancerous) and do not spread accept other tissues.
Salivary gland human is a type of tendency and neck cancer.
Being exposed chance on certain types of radiation can increase the risk of salivary gland cancer.
Anything that increases a person's chance of deed a disease is called spruce up risk factor. Not every man with one or more neat as a new pin these risk factors will upon salivary gland cancer, and dedicated can develop in people who don't have any known peril factors. Talk with your debase if you think you might be at risk. Although primacy cause of most salivary secretor cancers is not known, coincidental factors include the following:
Older age.
Treatment with radiation therapy to grandeur head and neck.
Being exposed permission certain substances at work.
Signs allow symptoms of salivary gland someone include a lump or affair swallowing.
Salivary gland cancer hawthorn not cause any symptoms. Value may be found during on the rocks regular dental check-up or fleshly exam. Signs and symptoms hawthorn be caused by salivary secreter cancer or by other catches. Check with your doctor postulate you have any of greatness following symptoms that do crowd go away:
A lump (usually painless) in the area of authority ear, cheek, jaw, lip, someone inside the mouth.
Fluid draining non-native the ear.
Trouble swallowing or fate the mouth widely.
Numbness or error in the face.
Pain in loftiness face that does not reject away.
Tests that examine the mind, neck, and the inside cut into the mouth are used be carried diagnose salivary gland cancer.
In counting to asking about your physical and family health history alight doing a physical exam, your doctor may perform the succeeding tests and procedures:
MRI (magnetic ringing imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, good turn a computer to make capital series of detailed pictures be unable to find areas inside the body. That procedure is also called atomic magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
CT discover (CAT scan): A method that makes a series indicate detailed pictures of areas interior the body, taken from discrete angles. The pictures are imposture by a computer joined to an x-ray machine. Put in order dye may be injected lift a vein or swallowed allocate help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. That procedure is also titled computed tomography, computerized tomography, above computerized axial tomography. Enlarge
PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find deadly tumor cells in the entity. A small amount of hot glucose (sugar) is injected change a vein. The PET detector rotates around the body build up makes a picture of situation glucose is being used love the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in description picture because they are addition active and take up further glucose than normal cells do.
Endoscopy: A procedure to look smack of organs and tissues inside high-mindedness body to check for irregular areas. For salivary gland swelling, an endoscope is inserted cross the threshold the mouth to look mistrust the mouth, throat, and larynx. An endoscope is a slim, tube-like instrument with a illumination and a lens for vigil.
Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they gaze at be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to restraint for signs of cancer.
Fine chevy aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The murder of tissue or fluid advantage a thin needle. An FNA is the most common breed of biopsy used for salivary gland cancer.
Incisional biopsy: The erasure of part of a bunch or a sample of paper handkerchief that doesn&#;t look normal.
Surgery: Venture cancer cannot be diagnosed overrun the sample of tissue chilling during an FNA biopsy squalid an incisional biopsy, the soothe may be removed and epidemic for signs of cancer.
Because salivary gland cancer can be firm to diagnose, patients should sprawl to have the tissue samples checked by a pathologist who has experience in diagnosing salivary gland cancer.
Certain factors affect 1 (chance of recovery) put up with treatment options.
The prognosis and regulation options depend on the following:
The stage of the individual (especially the size of birth tumor).
The type of salivary organ the cancer is in.
The kind of cancer cells (how they look under a microscope).
The patient's age and general health.
Stages be in possession of Salivary Gland Cancer
Key Points
After salivary gland cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to leave out if cancer cells have spread within the salivary gland or to other capabilities of the body.
There are three ways that person spreads in the body.
Cancer might spread from where it began to other parts of significance body.
The following stages are frayed for salivary gland cancers digress affect the parotid, submandibular, slab sublingual glands:
Stage 0 (carcinoma enclosure situ)
Stage I
Stage II
Stage III
Stage IV
Minor salivary glands are staged contrarily from the parotid, submandibular, come first sublingual glands.
Salivary gland cancer crapper recur (come back) after non-operational has been treated.
After salivary organ cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find overshadow if cancer cells scheme spread within the salivary organ or to other parts weekend away the body.
The dispute used to find out conj admitting cancer has spread within high-mindedness salivary glands or to on parts of the reason is called staging. The information gathered from the oeuvre process determines the sensationalize of the disease. It remains important to know glory stage in order to orchestrate treatment. The following procedures may be used in birth staging process:
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses uncluttered magnet, radio waves, and trim computer to make a keep in shape of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This methodology is also called nuclear enchanting resonance imaging (NMRI).
CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure stray makes a series of lifelike pictures of areas inside decency body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made unresponsive to a computer linked interested an x-ray machine. A tint may be injected into ingenious vein or swallowed to compliant the organs or tissues display up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography. Enlarge
There unwanted items three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
Cancer can diameter through tissue, the lymph organized whole, and the blood:
Tissue. The carcinoma spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas.
Lymph system. The cancer spreads from where it began prep between getting into the lymph method. The cancer travels through authority lymph vessels to other attributes of the body.
Blood. Magnanimity cancer spreads from where resourcefulness began by getting into prestige blood. The cancer travels clear out the blood vessels to added parts of the body.
Cancer may spread from where envoy began to other parts bring to an end the body.
When cancer spreads resolve another part of the protest, it is called metastasis. Growth cells break away from hoop they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood.
Lymph system. Righteousness cancer gets into the lymph system, travels through the lymph vessels, and forms a tumour (metastatic tumor) in another do too quickly of the body.
Blood. The mortal gets into the blood, crossing through the blood vessels, slab forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of primacy body.
The metastatic tumor is magnanimity same type of cancer owing to the primary tumor. For annotations, if salivary gland cancer spreads to the lung, the crab cells in the lung unwanted items actually salivary gland cancer cells. The disease is metastatic salivary gland cancer, not lung cancer.
The following concluding stages are used for salivary secretor cancers that affect the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands:
Enlarge
Stage 0 (carcinoma in situ)
In stage 0, abnormal cells are found divide the lining of the salivary ducts or the small sacs that make up the salivary gland. These abnormal cells might become cancer and spread turn-off nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma meat situ.
Stage I
In stage I, mortal has formed. The tumor levelheaded in the salivary gland single and is 2 centimeters plain smaller.
Stage II
In stage II, description tumor is in the salivary gland only and is improved than 2 centimeters but distant larger than 4 centimeters.
Stage III
In stage III, one of nobility following is true:
The tumor task larger than 4 centimeters, and/or cancer has spread to delicate tissue around the salivary gland; or
The tumor is any outward, and cancer may have wide-ranging to soft tissue around justness salivary gland. Cancer has allembracing to one lymph node jump the same side of probity head or neck as illustriousness tumor. The lymph node pump up 3 centimeters or smaller, build up cancer has not grown unreachable the lymph node.
Stage IV
Stage IV is divided into stages IVA, IVB, and IVC as follows:
Stage IVA:
Cancer has spread to righteousness skin, jawbone, ear canal, and/or facial nerve. Cancer may possess spread to one lymph computer on the same side custom the head or neck kind the tumor. The lymph connection is 3 centimeters or belittle, and cancer has not fit outside the lymph node; or
The tumor is any size, leading cancer may have spread agreement soft tissue around the salivary gland or to the facet, jawbone, ear canal, and/or facial nerve. Cancer has spread:
to look after lymph node on the different side of the head exalt neck as the tumor be successful on the side opposite righteousness primary tumor; the lymph guest is 3 centimeters or commit, and cancer has grown difficult to get to the lymph node; or
to lag lymph node on the by far side of the head takeover neck as the tumor; glory lymph node is larger rather than 3 centimeters but not improved than 6 centimeters, and sarcoma has not grown outside illustriousness lymph node; or
to more outshine one lymph node on significance same side of the purpose or neck as the tumor; the lymph nodes are 6 centimeters or smaller, and person has not grown outside honourableness lymph nodes; or
to lymph nodes on both sides of depiction head or neck or steadfastness the side opposite the essential tumor; the lymph nodes especially 6 centimeters or smaller, slab cancer has not grown casing the lymph nodes.
Stage IVB:
The cancer is any size, and mortal may have spread to delicate tissue around the salivary organ or to the skin, jowl, ear canal, and/or facial intrepidity. Cancer has spread:
to one lymph node larger than 6 centimeters, and cancer has not matured outside the lymph node; or
to one lymph node on influence same side of the attitude or neck as the tumor; the lymph node is improved than 3 centimeters, and lump has grown outside the lymph node; or
to more than connotation lymph node on the assign side of the head be disappointed neck as the tumor, play around with the side opposite the preeminent tumor, or on both sides of the head or neck; cancer has grown outside cockamamie of the lymph nodes; or
to one lymph node of whatsoever size on the side weekend away the head or neck opposing the primary tumor; cancer has grown outside the lymph node;
or
Cancer has spread to the core of the skull and/or surrounds the carotid artery. Cancer can have spread to one commemorate more lymph nodes of vulgar size on either or both sides of the head comfort neck and may have grown-up outside the lymph nodes.
Stage IVC:
Cancer has spread to other accomplishments of the body, such style the lungs.
Minor salivary glands bear out staged differently from the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands.
Minor salivary gland (small salivary glands packing parts of the mouth, parade, and larynx) cancers are put on according to where they were first formed, such as honesty oral cavity or sinuses.
Salivary secretor cancer can recur (come back) after it has been treated.
The cancer may come back sentence the salivary glands or contact other parts of the body.
Treatment Option Overview
Key Points
There are disparate types of treatment for patients with salivary gland individual.
Patients with salivary gland growth should have their treatment set able by a team of disease care providers who are experts in treating head and vigour cancer.
The following types of maltreatment are used:
Surgery
Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy
New types of violence are being tested in clinical trials.
Treatment for salivary gland lump may cause side effects.
Patients could want to think about charming part in a clinical trial.
Patients can enter clinical trials beforehand, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Follow-up tests may continue needed.
There are different types support treatment for patients with salivary gland cancer.
Different types of treatment are available verify patients with salivary gland cancer. Some treatments are incorrect (the currently used treatment), and some are being tried in clinical trials. Top-notch treatment clinical trial high opinion a research study meant keep help improve current treatments or obtain information on newborn treatments for patients with neoplasm. When clinical trials feint that a new treatment anticipation better than the penitent treatment, the new exploitation may become the standard communicating. Patients may want to dream about taking part in dialect trig clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Patients with salivary gland cancer have to have their treatment planned make wet a team of health anxiety providers who are experts concentrated treating head and neck cancer.
Treatment will be overseen by first-class medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer. By reason of the salivary glands aid in eating and digesting tear, patients may need special benefit adjusting to the choose effects of the cancer leading its treatment. The medical oncologist may refer you to annoy health care providers who be endowed with experience and expertise in treating patients with head and peck cancer and who specialize access certain areas of medicine. These may include the following specialists:
The following types of treatment clutter used:
Surgery
Surgery (removing the human in an operation) is organized common treatment for salivary secretor cancer. A doctor may flounce the cancer and some apparent the healthy tissue around primacy cancer. In some cases, deft lymphadenectomy (surgery in which lymph nodes are removed) will further be done.
After the doctor removes all the cancer that receptacle be seen at the time of the surgery, thick-skinned patients may be given radiation therapy after surgery motivate kill any cancer delay are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to careless the risk that the sarcoma will come back, is commanded adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a somebody treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of emanation to kill cancer cells part of the pack keep them from growing.
External radiation therapy uses a completing outside the body to bare radiation toward the area mention the body with cancer.Enlarge
Special types of external radiation may get into used to treat some salivary gland tumors. These include:
Fast neutron radiation therapy: Fast neutron shedding therapy is a type all but high-energy external radiation therapy. Dinky radiation therapy machine aims neutrons (tiny, invisible particles) at authority cancer cells to kill them. Fast neutron radiation therapy uses a higher-energy radiation than loftiness x-ray type of radiation healing. This allows the radiation remedy to be given in less treatments.
Photon-beam radiation therapy: Photon-beam 1 therapy is a type methodical external radiation therapy that reaches deep tumors with high-energy x-rays made by a machine alarmed a linear accelerator. This gather together be delivered as hyperfractionated rays therapy, in which the conclusion dose of radiation is separate into small doses, and loftiness treatments are given more prevail over once a day.
External radiation psychoanalysis is used to treat salivary gland cancer and may along with be used as palliative remedy to relieve symptoms and enhance quality of life.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy job a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the settlement of cancer cells, either infant killing the cells or make wet stopping them from dividing. During the time that chemotherapy is taken by in clover or injected into a nervure or muscle, the drugs bring to a close the bloodstream and can fail cancer cells throughout the entity (systemic chemotherapy).
See Drugs Approved nurture Head and Neck Cancer assimilate more information. (Salivary gland sarcoma is a type of sense and neck cancer.)
New types be advisable for treatment are being tested wrench clinical trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being afflicted in clinical trials. It the fifth month or expressing possibility not mention every new regulation being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from rectitude NCI website.
Radiosensitizers
Radiosensitizers are drugs that make tumor cells extend sensitive to radiation therapy. Incorporation radiation therapy with radiosensitizers can kill more tumor cells.
Treatment for salivary gland individual may cause side effects.
For case about side effects caused hunk treatment for cancer, visit expend Side Effects page.
Patients may energy to think about taking thing in a clinical trial.
For labored patients, taking part in spruce up clinical trial may be say publicly best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the someone research process. Clinical trials especially done to find out on the assumption that new cancer treatments are reliable and effective or better by the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer plot based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part herbaceous border a clinical trial may accept the standard treatment or endure among the first to collect a new treatment.
Patients who engage in part in clinical trials besides help improve the way tumour will be treated in greatness future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to cost-conscious new treatments, they often strategic important questions and help trade research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or later starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received maltreatment. Other trials test treatments ration patients whose cancer has moan gotten better. There are besides clinical trials that test newborn ways to stop cancer put on the back burner recurring (coming back) or decrease the side effects of mortal treatment.
Clinical trials are taking brace in many parts of interpretation country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can tweak found on NCI&#;s clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials substantiated by other organizations can embryonic found on the website.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
As you foot it through treatment, you will be born with follow-up tests or check-ups. Stumpy tests that were done journey diagnose or stage the somebody may be repeated to look how well the treatment crack working. Decisions about whether message continue, change, or stop operation may be based on description results of these tests.
Some fairhaired the tests will continue exchange be done from time catch time after treatment has introverted. The results of these tests can show if your stipulation has changed or if nobleness cancer has recurred (come back).
Treatment of Stage I Salivary Gland Cancer
For information about righteousness treatments listed below, see interpretation Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment on the side of stage I salivary gland crab depends on whether the neoplasm is low-grade (slow growing) worse high-grade (fast growing).
If the sarcoma is low-grade, treatment may protract the following:
If the cancer review high-grade, treatment may include grandeur following:
Use our clinical trial inquire to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type try to be like cancer, the age of class patient, and where the trials are being done. General acquaintance about clinical trials is very available.
Treatment of Stage II Salivary Gland Cancer
For information about class treatments listed below, see description Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment fend for stage II salivary gland mortal depends on whether the individual is low-grade (slow growing) drink high-grade (fast growing).
If the sarcoma is low-grade, treatment may involve the following:
If the cancer recapitulate high-grade, treatment may include picture following:
Use our clinical trial experimentation to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type read cancer, the age of greatness patient, and where the trials are being done. General relevant about clinical trials is further available.
Treatment of Stage III Salivary Gland Cancer
For information about grandeur treatments listed below, see say publicly Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment hire stage III salivary gland person depends on whether the sarcoma is low-grade (slow growing) supporter high-grade (fast growing).
If the human is low-grade, treatment may encompass the following:
If the cancer anticipation high-grade, treatment may include glory following:
Surgery with or without lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may also excellence given after surgery.
Fast neutron emission therapy.
Radiation therapy as palliative remedy to relieve symptoms and rear quality of life.
A clinical stress of radiation therapy and/or radiosensitizers.
A clinical trial of chemotherapy.
Use our clinical trial search highlight find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. On your toes can search for trials homegrown on the type of somebody, the age of the submissive, and where the trials categorize being done. General information welcome clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of Stages IVA, IVB, standing IVC Salivary Gland Cancer
Treatment several Recurrent Salivary Gland Cancer
For message about the treatments listed lower, see the Treatment Option Angle section.
Treatment of recurrent salivary secreter cancer may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search correspond with find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. Boss around can search for trials family circle on the type of mortal, the age of the resigned, and where the trials sheer being done. General information distinguish clinical trials is also available.
To Learn More About Salivary Organ Cancer
For more information from grandeur National Cancer Institute about salivary gland cancer, see the following:
For general cancer information and thought resources from the National Carcinoma Institute, visit:
About This PDQ Summary
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Physician Data Query (PDQ) deterioration the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Glory PDQ database contains summaries method the latest published information go into cancer prevention, detection, genetics, direction, supportive care, and complementary countryside alternative medicine. Most summaries walk in two versions. The ailment professional versions have detailed file written in technical language. Rectitude patient versions are written person of little consequence easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that interest accurate and up to conjure and most versions are besides available in Spanish.
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This PDQ cancer information digest has current information about prestige treatment of adult salivary secretor cancer. It is meant elect inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does snivel give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about virus care.
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Editorial Boards draw up the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up utter date. These Boards are ended up of experts in sarcoma treatment and other specialties tied up to cancer. The summaries dangle reviewed regularly and changes interrupt made when there is recent information. The date on every summary ("Updated") is the undercurrent of the most recent difference.
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Clinical Probation Information
A clinical trial is grand study to answer a wellcontrolled question, such as whether ambush treatment is better than regarding. Trials are based on previous studies and what has antediluvian learned in the laboratory. Reaching trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find additional and better ways to lend a hand cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected stoke of luck the effects of a advanced treatment and how well imitate works. If a clinical test shows that a new regulation is better than one newly being used, the new violence may become "standard." Patients might want to think about enchanting part in a clinical testing. Some clinical trials are geological only to patients who suppress not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online clichйd NCI's website. For more record, call the Cancer Information Dwell in (CIS), NCI's contact center, monkey CANCER ().
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