How is salivary gland cancer treated?

Making treatment decisions

After the cancer is found and staged, your cancer care team will discuss treatment options (choices) with you. The options may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or some combination of these. How you are treated depends upon many factors, including the type and stage of the cancer, your overall health, the chances of curing the disease, and the impact of the treatment on functions like speech, chewing, and swallowing.

It is important to take time and think about all of your choices. If time permits, seeking a second opinion from a doctor experienced with salivary gland cancer is often a good idea. It can provide you with more information and help you feel more confident about the chosen treatment plan. Some insurance companies may require a second opinion before they will agree to pay for treatments.

Common treatments for salivary gland cancer include:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy

The following sections describe the various types of treatments used for salivary gland cancer. This is followed by a description of the most common approaches used based on the stage of the cancer, and information on treatment options for recurrent salivary gland cancer.