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In this Article

• What is salivary gland cancer?
• What increases the risk of salivary gland cancer?
• What are symptoms and signs of salivary gland cancer?
• What exams and tests are used to detect and diagnose salivary gland cancer?
• What is the prognosis for salivary gland cancer?
• What tests are done to determine if salivary gland cancer has spread?
• How does salivary gland cancer spread in the body?
• What are the stages for salivary gland cancer?
• What is the treatment for salivary gland cancer?
• How does staging affect treatment options?
• Patient Comments: Salivary Gland Cancer - Symptoms
• Find a local Oncologist in your town
• Salivary Gland Cancer Index

The following stages are used for major salivary gland cancers:

Pea, peanut, walnut, and lime show tumor sizes.

Stage I

In stage I, the tumor is in the salivary gland only and is 2 centimeters or smaller.

Stage II

In stage II, the tumor is in the salivary gland only and is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 4 centimeters.

Stage III

In stage III, one of the following is true:

• The tumor is not larger than 4 centimeters and has spread to a single lymph node on the same side as the tumor and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller.
• The tumor is larger than 4 centimeters and/or has spread to soft tissue around the affected gland. Cancer may have spread to a single lymph node on the same side as the tumor and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller.

Stage IV

Stage IV is divided into stages IVA, IVB, and IVC as follows:

• Stage IVA:
• The tumor may be any size and may have spread to soft tissue around the affected gland. Cancer has spread to a single lymph node on the same side as the tumor and the lymph node is larger than 3 centimeters but not larger than 6 centimeters, or has spread to more than one lymph node on either or both sides of the body and the lymph nodes are not larger than 6 centimeters; or
• Cancer has spread to the skin, jawbone, ear canal, and/or facial nerve, and may have spread to one or more lymph nodes on either or both sides of the body. The lymph nodes are not larger than 6 centimeters.
• Stage IVB:
• The tumor may be any size and may have spread to soft tissue around the affected gland. Cancer has spread to a lymph node larger than 6 centimeters; or
• Cancer has spread to the base of the skull and/or the carotid artery, and may have spread to one or more lymph nodes of any size on either or both sides of the body.
• Stage IVC:
• The tumor may be any size and may have spread to soft tissue around the affected gland, to the skin, jawbone, ear canal, facial nerve, base of the skull, or carotid artery, or to one or more lymph nodes on either or both sides of the body. Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.

Salivary gland cancers are also grouped by grade. The grade of a tumor tells how fast the cancer cells are growing, based on how the cells look under a microscope. Low-grade cancers grow more slowly than high- grade cancers.

Minor salivary gland cancers are staged according to where they were first found in the body.

Recurrent salivary gland cancer

Recurrent salivary gland cancer is cancer that has recurred (come back) after it has been treated. Recurrent salivary gland cancer may come back in the salivary glands or in other parts of the body.