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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Salivary gland cancer is a rare form of cancer that begins in the salivary glands. Salivary gland cancer can begin in any of the salivary glands in your mouth, neck or throat.
Salivary glands make saliva, which aids in digestion and keeps your mouth moist. You have three pairs of major salivary glands under and behind your jaw — parotid, sublingual and submandibular. Many other tiny salivary glands are in your lips, inside your cheeks and throughout your mouth and throat.
Salivary gland cancer most commonly occurs in the parotid gland, which is just in front of the ear.
Treatment for salivary gland cancer often involves surgery. Other treatments for salivary gland cancer may include radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
- Salivary gland cancer. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_7x_CRC_Salivary_Gland_Cancer_PDF.asp. Accessed Jan. 20, 2010.
- Salivary gland cancer. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Salivary+Gland+Cancer. Accessed Jan. 29, 2010.
- Salivary gland cancer treatment (PDQ): Health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/salivarygland/healthprofessional/allpages/print. Accessed Jan. 20, 2010.
- Simental A, et al. Malignant neoplasms of the salivary glands. In: Cummings CW, et al. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/182968964-2/0/1263/0.html. Accessed Jan. 28, 2010.
- Quon H. Cancer of the head and neck. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1177.
- Head and neck cancer: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/head-and-neck. Accessed Jan. 20, 2010.
- Head and neck cancers. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/head-and-neck.pdf. Accessed Jan. 20, 2010.
- Jeannon JP, et al. Management of advanced parotid cancer: A systematic review. European Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2009;35:908.
- Dry mouth or xerostomia. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Treating+Cancer/Managing+Side+Effects/Dry+Mouth+or+Xerostomia. Accessed Feb. 10, 2010.
- Cancer-related fatigue. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/fatigue.pdf. Accessed Feb. 10, 2010.
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