Salivary Gland Cancers

• the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Clinic
  
  
• Making an appointment
  
  
• The Head and Neck Onoclogy Program Team (this links to the UMHS website).

Older age.

Treatment with radiation therapy to the head and neck.

Being exposed to certain substances at work.

Fluid draining from the ear.

Trouble swallowing or opening the mouth widely.

Numbness or weakness in the face.

Pain in the face that does not go away.

• Physical exam and history:
  An exam checking for general health. The focus will be on the head, neck, mouth, and throat, looking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient's health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging):
  A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
• CT scan (CAT scan):
  A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly.
  
  This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
• PET scan (positron emission tomography scan):
  A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do.
• Ultrasound exam:
  A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
• Endoscopy:
  A procedure to look at organs and tissues inside the body to check for abnormal areas. For salivary gland cancer, an endoscope is inserted into the mouth to look at the mouth, throat, and larynx. An endoscope is a thin, tube- like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing.
• Fine needle aspiration biopsy:
  The removal of tissue or fluid using a thin needle. A pathologist views the tissue or fluid under a microscope to look for cancer cells. This procedure is also called a needle biopsy.

Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after surgery to increase the chance of a cure is called adjuvant therapy.

Radiation therapy
This form of treatment uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer.
Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Learn more about UMHS Radiation Oncology.

Chemotherapy
This treatment uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Learn more about chemotherapy at the Cancer Center.