You may be reading this because you’re worried about getting salivary gland cancer. Maybe you’re waiting for test results. Or, perhaps you or someone you care about just learned they have salivary gland cancer.
Salivary gland cancer often starts in the 3 main salivary glands:
This guide will help you understand how salivary gland cancer is diagnosed and what your diagnosis means. Learning as much as you can may help you feel ready to talk with doctors about your care.
We’ll do a physical exam of the head and neck area. We may recommend imaging tests, such as a CT scan. You may have a biopsy of the tumor, the best way to confirm if you have salivary gland cancer.
Your salivary gland cancer diagnosis most often will describe where the cancer started, its type, and if it’s growing slowly or fast. We use this information to create a care plan just for you.
For many people, the first sign of salivary gland cancer is a lump in your salivary glands. You may notice a lump, or your dentist or healthcare provider finds it during a routine checkup. A salivary gland cancer lump can grow on the side of your face or in your mouth.
If something does not look right, your doctor may do a procedure called an endoscopy (en-DOS-koh-pee). This helps them to get a better look at the area. They’ll put a scope (a thin tube with a camera) into your mouth or nose. They’ll look for signs of cancer.
If you’re diagnosed with salivary gland cancer, your doctor will tell you:
We use a testing tool developed at MSK called MSK-IMPACT®. It looks at about 500 genes for genetic changes and other tumor traits. Our test finds genetic mutations in the tumor that other tests can miss. MSK-IMPACT has tested more than 92,000 of our patients to find the best treatments for them.
Talk with an MSK Care Advisor. We're here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A tumor genetic profiling test also is called genomic testing, molecular profiling, or next-generation sequencing. The test uses a sample taken from a tumor. We also consider sending blood samples as well, to learn more about the tumor’s genes.
At MSK, broad genetic testing of the tumor is a routine part of how we diagnose and treat salivary gland cancer. We profile salivary gland tumors as part of standard care.
Genomic testing tells us which genetic changes (mutations or variants) caused the salivary gland cancer and made the cancer grow. The test results let us target those genes for treatment, a method called targeted therapy.
If we know which mutations you have, we know which treatments will work best on the tumor. Almost all of these genetic changes are only in cancer cells, not in normal cells. They cannot be passed on to your children.
Changes in the MYB gene are linked to adenoid cystic carcinoma. We also test for ETV6 and NTRK3 gene issues that can cause secretory carcinoma.
Learning you have salivary gland cancer can be overwhelming. You’ll hear many medical terms you've never heard before. We’re here to help you understand what they mean and why they matter.
The information in your diagnosis describes important details about the type of salivary gland cancer you have. Your doctors use that information to create the best plan of care for you.
Salivary gland cancer may be stage 4 when it’s first diagnosed. Or, it can be recurrent (cancer that has come back after treatment). Stage 3 and stage 4 salivary cancer is more likely to come back than early-stage cancer.
Late-stage salivary gland cancer may come back:
Newly diagnosed? Hear advice from our patients.
Michael:
You have a diagnosis of cancer, and there's all this fear and there's apprehension and you're nervous and you're scared. You've got surgery in front of you. You've got quality of life issues ahead of you. What I wish I had known was that you can come out the other side of this journey.
Lorena:
When I received the news that I had cancer, it was devastating and I was lost, completely lost.
Ming:
You are meeting with a lot of different people, so what I would really recommend to patients is just do your best to take notes.
Michael:
Come to the appointment prepared. Come with questions.
Norma:
I had questions about my recovery. I had questions about the possibility of chemo. I was placed on a clinical trial, and I had questions about that.
Michael:
Prior to coming to MSK, my wife and I had been to a variety of different doctors, and we got a lot of different answers and no clear direction. It was the first time that a definitive plan was put in place where I actually had a recommendation of which way to go.
Ming:
My care team consisted of doctors, social workers, nurses.
Michael:
It's not just one doctor you're dealing with. You're dealing with all of MSK and their entire team approach to your care.
Lorena:
The way they greet me, it was just overwhelming. I was so happy. It was 100% personalized for me.
Norma:
I was told to expect patient-centered care and I kind of felt that from the beginning, from that first day that I walked in.
Ming:
There were even people there just to hang out with me and to kill time. If you need something, ask. And even if it's something small like, “Nothing tastes good,” or “Everything tastes awful and I can't eat any of this,” it's important to tell someone and they can help you address your needs as a patient
Lorena:
One of the programs that I found helpful was Integrated Medicine. For example, acupuncture. It helped me to calm down; and then after the treatment, it managed the pain.
Norma:
I immediately used the nutrition program because it was amazing. I used their PT program. I used their Visible Ink program, which is wonderful and it gives you tremendous emotional support.
Lorena:
Another thing that is very helpful is the MSK Patient Portal. You can set up appointments. You can request prescriptions. You can also use the portal for a telemedicine visit. On the days that you don't have any energy, telemedicine is there for you. There is no difference at all between being seen in person or telemedicine.
Norma:
I never felt that I couldn't call someone, even if it was the doctor's nurse, and just talk.
Ming:
The silver lining from being diagnosed with cancer is I taught myself how to be positive.
Lorena:
This experience taught me to live in the moment, and you learn how to live life in a better way.
When you learn you have salivary gland cancer, you’ll have many questions for your cancer doctor at your first visit. Talking about treatment options with your doctor can help you feel better prepared to make decisions about your care.
There are many types of salivary gland cancer and MSK is experienced treating every kind, from common to rare. There are also benign (not cancer) types of salivary gland tumors, such as pleomorphic adenomas and Warthin’s tumors.
The information below describes each type of salivary gland cancer and explains how we classify (sort) them.
Salivary gland cancers are low, intermediate, or high grade, based on how the cells look under a microscope:
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common salivary gland cancer. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma most often starts in the parotid glands but can be in the submandibular or minor salivary glands. It often forms tiny cysts filled with mucous.
Here are the common symptoms of MEC.
Mucoepidermoid carcinomas often are low grade (grow slowly) and surgery is the most common treatment. We may recommend radiation therapy after surgery to lower the chance the cancer will come back. MEC can also be intermediate, or it can be high grade (grows and spread fast). For advanced tumors, you may have chemotherapy.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma is the most common cancer of the minor salivary glands.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma grows slowly and often is low grade, but is aggressive. It’s more likely to recur (come back) after treatment than other salivary gland cancers.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma often spreads along your nerves, causing symptoms such as:
Surgery is the most common treatment for adenoid cystic carcinoma. For advanced adenoid cystic carcinoma, you may have chemotherapy or targeted therapy.
Acinic cell carcinoma starts in your acinar cells, which make saliva.
Acinic cell carcinomas often are low grade and slow growing. It’s rare, and a little more common in women than men. Most acinic cell carcinomas start in the parotid gland.
Here are the common symptoms of acinic cell carcinoma.
Surgery is the most common treatment for acinic cell carcinomas. We may recommend radiation therapy after surgery to lower the chance the cancer will come back. We may also use radiation to treat high-grade acinic cell carcinomas that spread to other body parts.
Polymorphous adenocarcinoma often grows slowly. Polymorphous adenocarcinoma is very rare, but is the second most common cancer of the minor salivary glands.
Here are the common symptoms of polymorphous carcinoma.
Surgery is the most common treatment for polymorphous carcinomas. We may recommend radiation therapy after surgery to lower the chance the cancer will come back.
Adenocarcinoma, NOS, is a rare cancer that’s hard to classify (sort). It does not fit the patterns of other types of salivary gland cancers. It’s often high grade and spreads fast.
Adenocarcinoma, NOS, often starts as a painless lump in the parotid or minor salivary glands.
Here are the common symptoms of adenocarcinoma, NOS.
When it’s in the minor salivary glands, it’s often on the roof of the mouth. This type is easier to treat than ones in the major salivary glands.
Surgery is the most common treatment for adenocarcinoma, NOS. You may also have radiation therapy and chemotherapy after surgery.
Secondary salivary gland cancer starts in another part of the body and spreads to the salivary glands. About 8 out of every 10 secondary salivary gland cancers start in the head and neck area and spread to the salivary glands.
Secondary salivary gland cancers often spread to the parotid glands through the lymphatic system. Less often, it can also spread to the submandibular glands.
Cancers that can spread to the salivary glands include cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma of the head and neck. Other cancers that can spread to the salivary glands include breast cancer, kidney cancer, and lung cancer.
Most salivary gland tumors are benign (not cancer). The most common benign salivary gland tumors are pleomorphic adenoma and Warthin’s tumor.
Pleomorphic adenoma
Pleomorphic adenomas are rare, but are the most common type of benign salivary gland tumor. Adenoma means a lump that’s not cancer. But pleomorphic adenomas can become cancer, and surgery is the most common treatment.
Warthin’s tumor
Warthin’s tumor is a benign lump that almost always starts in the parotid glands. Warthin’s tumors are more common in men than women.
People who smoke or have a history of radiation exposure may be more likely to get Warthin’s tumor. Warthin’s tumors can grow and harm the nerves, and surgery is the most common treatment.
Chatbots can be a good way for you to learn more about what’s going on with your health. They can even give accurate information about cancer. But there also are many problems with chatbots. MSK experts share tips on how to use these AI tools, and why your care team has the best information for you.
A cancer stage tells us how advanced the cancer is. Staging describes traits such as the tumor’s size, location, and whether it has spread.
There are 5 stages of major salivary gland cancer, from 0 to 4 (0 to IV). The lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. Your doctor may add a letter (A, B, or C) to these stages to give even more information.
Staging helps your doctor choose the best treatment options for you. The stage also helps them predict the outcome (result) of your treatment. Based on the stage, you also may be able to join a clinical trial.
The stage is based on:
Your doctor may use letters and numbers from the TNM system to describe the stage:
N0 means cancer is not in lymph nodes. N1, N2, or N3 means it’s spread to nodes.
M0 means cancer has not spread. M1 means it’s spread to distant organs, muscles, or bones.
Minor salivary glands make mucus in the lining of the upper aerodigestive (ayr-OH-dy-JES-tiv) tract. This includes the lips, mouth, tongue, nose, throat, vocal cords, and part of the esophagus and windpipe.
Tumors in the minor salivary glands are not staged in the same way as cancer that starts in the major salivary glands.
Minor salivary gland tumors are staged based on where the cancer started, such as the mouth or sinuses.
