An Overview on Salivary Gland Cancer

Ilham Khalfaoui^*
*Correspondence: Dr. Ilham Khalfaoui, Department of Oncology, Wright State University Bowshot School of Medicine, Dayton, United States, Email:

Description

Salivary gland cancer is one of the five primary types of cancer in the head and neck region, sometimes known as head and neck cancer. Cancer develops when healthy cells mutate and proliferate uncontrollably, resulting in the formation of a mass of tissue known as a tumor. A tumor might be malignant or noncancerous. A malignant tumor can develop and spread to other regions of the body. A benign tumor can form but will not spread.

Tumors, both benign and malignant, can develop in any of the main or small salivary glands. The majority of tumors (80%) that occur in the parotid gland and almost half of the tumors in the submandibular gland are benign. Tumors of the sublingual gland are typically malignant. The majority of malignant tumors of this sort arise in the parotid or submandibular glands. The salivary glands contain saliva-producing tissues. Saliva is essential to the body because it:

• Keeps the mouth moist

• It contains enzymes that begin the breakdown of food.

• Aids in the prevention of mouth and throat infections.

Salivary gland clusters can be seen across the head and neck.

The main salivary glands are typically referred to by doctors as three pairs of salivary glands.

These are the most powerful salivary glands. They are placed in front of the ears on both sides of the face.

Glands under the tongue: These are situated toward the back of the mouth, beneath the tongue. There are also tiny salivary glands, which are smaller clusters of salivary glands. Salivary glands can be found in the upper jaw, along the inner of the teeth, and on the soft palate.

Symptoms and Signs

Salivary gland cancer patients may exhibit the following symptoms or indicators. People with salivary gland cancer may or may not have any of these alterations. Alternatively, the origin of a symptom might be a medical disease other than cancer.

• A non-painful bump on the face, neck, or mouth.

• Inability to move some facial muscles, especially if one side of the face’s muscle stops moving and the afflicted region gradually grows. Progressive facial muscular paralysis is the medical term for this.

• Swelling or pain in the face, chin, jawbone region, or neck

• A disparity in the size and/or contour of the left and right sides of the face or neck

Types of Treatment

Many salivary gland tumors are curable, especially if detected early. Although the major objective of treatment is to cure the disease, it is equally critical to preserving the function of adjacent nerves, organs, and tissues. When doctors arrange treatment, they think about how the therapy can influence a person's quality of life, such as how a person feels, looks, talks, eats, and breathe.

Different types of specialists frequently collaborate in cancer care to construct a person's overall treatment plan, which mixes many sorts of therapy. This is characterized as a multifunctional team. Before beginning therapy, individual head-and-neck doctors should conduct an examination.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases a person's likelihood of developing cancer. Although risk factors regularly impact cancer development, the vast majority do not cause cancer. Some persons with many risk factors never get cancer, but others with no known risk factors do.

Most salivary gland cancers have unknown origins, although the following factors may enhance a person's risk of developing salivary gland cancer:

Age: Approximately two out of every three salivary gland malignancies are discovered in patients aged 55 and above, with an average age of 64.

Exposure to radiation: Head or neck radiation therapy for another medical reason may raise the chance of getting salivary gland cancer.

Exposure to radioactive substances: Exposure to some radioactive compounds has been related to an increased incidence of salivary gland cancer in some studies. According to some accounts, there isn't enough proof to back this up.

Environmental exposure: Exposure to sawdust and leather industry chemicals, pesticides, and some industrial solvents may raise the risk of a kind of salivary gland cancer that arises in the nose and sinuses.