Salivary gland cancer is an uncommon cancer originating in the salivary gland. These glands produce saliva, which helps in digesting the food. The salivary glands are divided into three primary pairs: parotid, submandibular.
Introduction
Salivary gland cancer is an uncommon cancer originating in the salivary gland. These glands produce saliva, which helps in digesting the food. The salivary glands are divided into three primary pairs: parotid, submandibular, and sublingual, with countless smaller salivary glands dispersed throughout the mouth and throat.
Who is most likely to get cancer of the salivary glands?
Anyone may acquire salivary gland cancer, although males and those born male are more prone to develop malignant salivary gland tumors. Additionally, there is a higher chance of salivary gland cancer if you:
• Aged 55 or older.
• Smoke or consume alcohol often.
• Have you had radiation treatment for your head or neck?
• Perform specific jobs, such as those in the plumbing, leatherworking, mining, and rubber product industries.
According to research, certain uncommon kinds of salivary gland cancer may be more likely in persons who have specific viral infections such as Epstein-Barr virus or human papillomavirus. However, these infections won't cause salivary gland cancer.
What causes cancerous Salivary Glands?
Most salivary gland tumors have their particular cause still unknown. Any salivary gland in or near the mouth could grow a tumor. Usually starting in the three main salivary glands, tumors grow for this includes:
• Parotid glands (located inside each cheek).
• Submandibular glands (located below the jawbone).
• Sublingual glands (located on the bottom of your tongue).
• Most salivary gland cancers, both cancerous and benign, originate in the parotid glands.
Saliva gland cancer may also develop inside the tiny small salivary glands. You may find these glands on several parts of your body, including the floor or roof of your mouth, the lips and tongue, and the inside of your cheeks, sinuses, nose, and voice box. Small salivary gland tumors are not rare, but when they do occur, most of them are cancerous.
If left untreated, these tumors may break apart and migrate to other regions of your body via your bloodstream or lymphatic system (metastasize). Metastatic cancer is more difficult to cure than salivary gland cancer. Salivary gland cancer may spread to the lungs, bones, and liver.
Signs of Cancer in the Salivary Gland
Salivary gland cancer symptoms can be different based on where the growth is and what stage it is in. Some common signs are:
• A bump or lump in the mouth, neck, or jaw
• Pain that won't go away in the affected area
• Having trouble eating or making your mouth wide open
• Face that feels numb or weak
• Difficulty moving part of your face (facial nerve palsy).
• A steady flow of fluid from the ea
If any of these signs happen to you, you should see a doctor right away for a full examination.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is salivary gland cancer diagnosed?
Salivary gland cancer is diagnosed by your medical professional after doing a physical examination and reviewing your medical and personal history. They will look for tumors in your salivary glands and assess how your facial nerves react to stimulation. They will inquire about your symptoms and previous cancer diagnoses.
Your doctor may request further tests to confirm the existence of a tumor or cancer cells. These tests may include:
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan: A PET scan utilizes tiny quantities of radioactive chemicals to determine if cancer has progressed to the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body. A PET scan and a CT scan may be performed at the same time.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Using radio waves and magnets, an MRI creates pictures of inside body parts. An MRI scan, like a CT scan, may offer information about the size of a tumor. An MRI is particularly useful for determining if cancer has progressed to soft tissue, such as muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.
• CT scan: A CT scan employs X-rays to produce pictures of lumps within the salivary glands. It can tell you the size of a tumor and if the disease has migrated to other regions of your body, such as your lungs or bone tissue.
• Biopsy: A biopsy is a tiny tissue and fluid sample taken from a salivary gland tumor. A pathologist is a medical professional who analyzes the sample in a lab for cancer cells to get the sample, your doctor could perform a core needle biopsy or a fine-needle aspiration.
A biopsy is the only technique to confirm the presence of cancer in a salivary gland tumor.
Types of salivary gland tumors:
There are many various kinds of salivary gland tumors. Salivary gland cancers are categorized according to the kind of cells present. Knowing what sort of salivary gland tumor you have allows your medical team to determine which treatment choices are best for you.
Non-cancerous salivary gland tumors include the following:
• Pleomorphic adenomas.
• Basal cell adenoma.
• Oncocytoma.
• Warthin tumor.
• Canalicular adenoma.
Cancerous salivary gland tumors are classified into the following:
• Acinic cell carcinoma.
• Adenocarcinoma.
• Salivary duct carcinoma.
• Mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
• Polymorphous, low-grade adenocarcinoma.
• Clear cell carcinoma.
• Squamous cell carcinoma.
• Malignant mixed tumor.
• Adenoid cystic carcinoma.
• Oncocytic carcinoma.
• Polymorphous, low-grade adenocarcinoma.
How is cancer of the salivary gland staged?
As part of your diagnosis, your healthcare professional will assign a stage to your cancer. Information about your tumor from cancer staging might assist direct your care. Tumors that develop in your submandibular, sublingual, and parotid glands are staged according to the TLM system:
Tumor location and size.
If your lymph nodes have been affected by the cancer.
If the cancer has spread to other organs or metastasized.
For tumors that develop in smaller salivary glands, a distinct staging approach is used.
It is critical to comprehend your cancer stage to make informed decisions about your course of treatment and expected results. Ask your doctor about your cancer stage and how it affects your diagnosis.
Management & Treatment
How are salivary gland cancers treated?
Surgery is typically the most effective treatment option for tumors that can be safely removed. If a tumor is rapidly developing or has migrated to other areas of your body, your doctor may suggest further therapies.
Treatments include:
• Surgery is the main therapeutic option for cancerous salivary gland tumors. In addition to removing the tumor, your physician may do a lymphadenectomy if they believe the cancer has spread there. After surgery, you will most likely need radiation treatment to eliminate any leftover cancer cells and prevent the cancer from returning.
• Radiation treatment employs a machine that focuses radiation toward the area of your body containing cancer cells, killing them. Radiation treatment for salivary gland cancer is divided into two types: photon beam and neutron beam. Palliative care may potentially include radiation treatments. Palliative treatment relieves symptoms and may enhance your quality of life.
• Chemotherapy is a drug-based treatment that destroys cancer cells. If your cancer has progressed from your salivary glands to tissues other than your head and neck, you may be treated with chemotherapy.
Your doctor may suggest that you participate in a clinical study. A clinical trial is a study that investigates the safety and efficacy of novel medicines. Treatments include:
• Immunotherapy is the use of medications to stimulate your immune system to recognize and fight cancerous cells. Researchers are investigating the potential of checkpoint inhibitors, a kind of immunotherapy, in the treatment of metastatic cancer.
• Radiosensitizers are medications that increase cancer cells' sensitivity to radiation. Radiation therapy is being investigated as a potential treatment for salivary gland cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of treatment that is being looked into by researchers to see how it can help fight cancer that has spread.
• Targeted treatment is the employment of medications that destroy or stop the growth of cancer cells by targeting flaws in their genetic code (DNA). Researchers are looking at the efficacy of targeted medicines in persons who have metastatic adenoid cystic carcinomas.
Conclusion
Early identification of salivary gland cancer may lead to better treatment results. If you encounter any of these symptoms, get medical attention right once. Regular dental check-ups, as well as awareness of changes in your oral and facial areas, may help with early detection and treatment.
