When you have cancer, you need a supportive environment and compassionate medical care. At Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, our oral, head and neck cancer specialists blend a gentle approach to care with world-recognized expertise and innovations to detect and treat your specific cancer.
We’ll work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that meets your unique needs. By collaborating with other world-renowned cancer researchers and incorporating groundbreaking discoveries, our experts design the best, most effective therapies for you.
Salivary gland cancer is a rare type of head and neck cancer. It develops when cancerous (malignant) cells form in the tissues of your salivary glands.
Your salivary glands are located throughout your jaw. They are under your tongue, above your jawbone and near your ears. These glands make saliva. Saliva contains enzymes that help you digest food and that release antibodies that help you fight mouth and throat infections.
Your mouth, nose and throat contain hundreds of salivary glands. But there are three primary salivary glands.
Some salivary gland cancer cells can spread to surrounding tissues, cartilage, bones or other parts of your body. But more than half of salivary gland tumors are noncancerous (benign), and they don’t spread (metastasize). Your treatment options and outcome will depend on your genetics, as well as the location and stage of your cancer. Most people fully recover from salivary gland cancer with an early diagnosis.
Cancerous and noncancerous salivary gland tumors can produce similar symptoms. Talk with your doctor if you experience:
According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for cancer that hasn’t spread is 94 percent. If cancer spreads, the five-year survival rate drops to 43 percent.
Currently, experts don’t know the specific risk factors for salivary gland cancer. Researchers believe many of them may be environmental or genetic. Some jobs like asbestos mining, plumbing or rubber manufacturing may increase the risk for salivary gland cancer.
Having a risk factor doesn’t mean you will develop salivary gland cancer, but it will increase your chances for developing the disease.
Possible risk factors include:
Researchers are still investigating what causes salivary gland cancer. In the meantime, our experts at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute recommend several lifestyle changes that can help prevent or reduce your risk of disease.
These changes include:
Our cancer specialists at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute expertly combine the best of clinical research with the best of patient care to deliver your best outcomes.
I want to see the site in English
Continue In EnglishQuiero ver el sitio en Español
Continuar en español
