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A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting
a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk
factors. For example, exposing skin to strong sunlight is a risk factor
for skin cancer. Smoking is a risk factor for cancers of the lung,
larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, esophagus (tube that carries food to the stomach), kidneys, bladder, and
several other organs.
But risk factors don't tell us everything. Having a risk
factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will
definitely get the disease. And many people who get the disease may not
have had any known risk factors. Even if a person has one or more risk
factors, it is not possible to know for sure how much that risk factor
contributed to causing the cancer.
Scientists have found few risk factors that make a person more
likely to develop salivary gland cancer.
Radiation exposure
Radiation treatment to the head and neck area for other
medical reasons increases your risk of salivary gland cancer. Workplace
exposure to certain radioactive substances may also increase the risk
of salivary gland cancer.
Family history
Very rarely, members of some families seem to have a higher
than usual risk of developing salivary gland cancers.
Other possible risk factors
Certain
workplace exposures: Some studies have suggested that
working with certain metals (nickel alloy dust) or minerals (silica
dust) may increase the risk for salivary gland cancer, but these links
are not certain. The rarity of these cancers makes this a difficult
area to study.
Tobacco and
alcohol use: Tobacco and alcohol can increase the risk for
several cancers of the head and neck area, but they have not been
strongly linked to salivary gland cancers in most studies.
Diet:
Some studies have found that a diet low in vegetables and high in
animal fat may increase the risk of salivary gland cancer, but more
research is needed to confirm this possible link.
Cell phones:
One recent study suggested an increased risk of parotid gland tumors
among heavy cell phone users. But some other studies have not found
such a link. Research in this area is still in progress. If there is
any excess risk, it could be decreased by using corded or cordless
earpieces that move the device away from the user's head and decrease
the amount of radiation that reaches the body. Last Medical Review: 02/10/2009
Last Revised: 02/10/2009
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