THE Salivary glands tumorswhich affect the organs deputies to the production of saliva, are rare neoplasms: as he remembers The online platform ofEuropean Institute of Oncologyfall into the wider set of head and neck cancers which also include thyroid ones (25 thousand cases per year in Italy, overall).
What are and where the salivary glands are
The salivary glands are located inside and around the mouth and they are divided into major and minors. The first, bilateral and symmetrical, include the gland parotid (in front of the ear and around the corner of the jaw), the gland submandibular (postero-inferior to the jaw) and the gland sublingual (under the mug floor, on the sides of the language). The second are instead present in different regions of the faceincluding the nose and the paranasal sinuses, substantially at the level of the coating mucosa of the first aerodigestive streets, and are therefore very numerous, in the order of hundreds. But, as Ieo recalls, “too small to be seen by the naked eye”.
They are rather rare neoplasms: they represent no more than 1% of all tumors and 2/3% of those of the head and neck district And they manifest themselves at any age but it is unlikely that they occur before the age of 40. Both sexes are affected substantially without differences, 70% of tumors are borne by parotid, 10% -20% of the submandibular glands and sublinguals are rarely affected. It can be a mucoepidermoid carcinoma, More common in parotid, cystic adenoid carcinoma and many different types of adenocarcinoma (light cells, basal cells, not specified, mucinous). In the salivary glands you can generate other tumors such as squamous cell carcinomas, undifferentiated carcinomas, melanomas and, more rarely, lymphomas.
What are the symptoms to note in salivary glands cancer and how many types of tumor exist
“Salivary glands tumors are considered rare tumors,” he confirms in an interview with Vanityfair Mohssen Ansarinspecialist in otolaryngology and director of the head and neck program as well as the division of otolaryngology and cervic-cephalic surgery at the IEO in Milan, “often slow growth and indolent. By virtue of this aspect, the first sign reported by the patients is the appearance of a swelling at the level of the seat of originat the level of the face (parotid gland) or neck (submandibular gland) or oral cable (minor salivary glands). The most frequent benign tumor is represented byPleomorphic adenomawhile mucoep hydromoid carcinoma, adenidocyse cancer and salivary duct carcinoma include malignant tumors “.
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As mentioned, the estimated impact in Italy is 1 out of 100 thousand male inhabitants and 0.7 out of 100 thousand inhabitants of female sex. More frequent over 60 years of age, about 80% of parotid tumors are benign, while more than 50% of those of the submandibular glands and more than 80% of those of the minor salivary glands are evil. However, «being rare tumors, There are no clear risk factors to date“Adds Ansarin compared to possible causes.
The investigations to be performed
“In case of swelling or suspicious nodules for a salivary origin, the Specialist visit of a head and neck surgeon It is the first essential step », adds the expert. «The specialist will be able to request further investigations of second level necessary, which may include the Tac or RMN, ultrasound with agoaspirate of the injury by histological characterization and diagnosis ».
Available therapies
«As for the care of salivary tumors, the surgery The first option remains, “concludes the director of the head and neck program of the Milanese institute. «However in selected cases and with particular types of histology, the radiotherapy with heavy ions (for example carbon ions) can play an essential role ».
Source: Vanity Fair
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