Salivary Gland Cancer (cont.)
What is the treatment for salivary gland cancer?
There are different types of treatment for patients with salivary gland
cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with salivary gland cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Patients with salivary gland cancer should have their treatment planned by a
team of doctors who are experts in treating head and neck cancer.
Your treatment will be overseen by a medical oncologist, a doctor who
specializes in treating people with cancer. Because the salivary glands help in
eating and digesting food, patients may need special help adjusting to the side
effects of the cancer and its treatment. The medical oncologist may refer you to
other doctors who have experience and expertise in treating patients with head
and neck cancer and who specialize in certain areas of medicine. These include
the following:
- Head and neck surgeon.
- Radiation oncologist.
- Dentist.
- Speech
therapist.
- Dietitian.
- Psychologist.
- Rehabilitation specialist.
- Plastic
surgeon.
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
Surgery (removing the cancer in an operation) is a common treatment for
salivary gland cancer. A doctor may remove the cancer and some of the healthy
tissue around the cancer. In some cases, a lymphadenectomy (surgery in which
lymph nodes are removed) will also be done.
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
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that 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.
Special types of radiation may be used to treat some salivary gland tumors.
These include:
- Fast neutron radiation therapy: Fast neutron radiation therapy is a type of
high-energy external radiation therapy. A radiation therapy machine aims tiny,
invisible particles, called neutrons, at the cancer cells to kill them. Fast
neutron radiation therapy uses a higher-energy radiation than the x-ray type of
radiation therapy. This allows the radiation therapy to be given in fewer
treatments.
- Photon-beam radiation therapy: A type of radiation therapy that
reaches deep tumors with high-energy x-rays made by a machine called a linear
accelerator. This can be delivered as hyperfractionated radiation therapy, in
which each day's total dose of radiation is divided into two or more smaller
doses that are usually given hours apart.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that 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.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical
trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about
clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Radiosensitizers
Radiosensitizers are drugs that make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation
therapy. Combining radiation therapy with radiosensitizers may kill more tumor
cells.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment
choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials
are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better
than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical
trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard
treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer
will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to
effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move
research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their
cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received
treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten
better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from
recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the
Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical
trials. These have been retrieved from NCI's clinical trials database.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the
stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see
how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change,
or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. This is sometimes
called re-staging.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment
has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or
if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called
follow-up tests or check-ups.
Next: How does staging affect treatment options? »
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