Salivary Gland Cancer

Treatment

Mayo Clinic specialists use advanced surgical and medical therapies for salivary gland cancer treatment. Each year more than 200 patients with this rare condition are treated at Mayo's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Mayo's care team is committed to minimizing the impact of salivary gland cancer treatment on your quality of life.

Surgery

Surgery is recommended for almost all salivary gland tumors, whether cancerous or benign. Because most salivary gland tumors occur in the parotid gland, the most common surgery needed is parotid gland surgery.

For all types of salivary gland tumors, surgery may be the only treatment needed if the tumor is benign. The surgery can be complicated because several important nerves are located in and around the salivary glands. Removing a parotid tumor (found on the salivary glands located in front of the ears) risks damaging a nerve controlling facial movement. Surgery on the salivary glands near the jaw or tongue risks damaging nerves that control tongue movement, feeling and taste.

The surgeon may need to remove lymph nodes in the neck (neck dissection) to see if the cancer has spread. Complications from neck dissection can include ear numbness, weakness in the lower lip and difficulty raising your arm above your head.

Mayo Clinic specialists have extensive experience in surgical techniques that reduce the effects of tumor removal on a patient's appearance. At Mayo, parotid surgery is often performed through incisions that hide scars in the skin creases around and behind the ear. In all salivary gland tumor cases, Mayo's surgeons are committed to minimizing the size of the surgical incision, preserving the facial nerve and reconstructing the surgery site.

Head and neck surgeons typically perform salivary gland surgery. Surgery may also be performed by oral surgeons or, in Minnesota, by plastic surgeons. A pathologist works closely with the surgeon in the operating room, examining tissue immediately after it is removed to ensure all cancer is eliminated.

Radiation and Chemotherapy

If a tumor is cancerous, the patient may need radiation therapy. Mayo Clinic specialists use the latest radiation therapy including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery. These technologies treat the cancer while limiting radiation to critical healthy tissues such as the eyes, optic nerves, brain, brain stem and spinal cord.
Side effects from radiation to the head and neck are usually temporary and may include changes in skin color and texture (similar to a suntan or sunburn), dry mouth, sore throat, hoarseness, problems swallowing and loss of or changes in taste and fatigue.

Chemotherapy may be used instead of or in addition to radiation therapy in patients with advanced salivary gland cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Physical and Reconstructive Therapies

Patients may benefit from physical therapy to help overcome surgical complications such as difficulty speaking, chewing or swallowing. Mayo Clinic's care team also has experience in reconstructive therapies for patients who require extensive tissue removal.