Salivary gland cancer is not a single disease. There are several different salivary glands found inside and near the mouth. Several types of cancer (and non-cancerous tumors) can start in these glands.

Salivary glands make saliva, the fluid found in the mouth and throat. Saliva contains enzymes that begin the process of breaking down food. It also contains substances to help prevent infections of the mouth and throat.

There are 2 main types of salivary glands: major and minor.

There are 3 kinds of major salivary glands, as shown above. They come in pairs. Most salivary gland tumors begin in the largest of these glands, the parotid (puh-RAH-tid) glands. These glands are found within the cheeks on either side of the face, just in front of the ears. Usually these tumors are benign, but sometimes they are cancerous.

The submandibular glands are smaller and are found on either side of the neck, under the chin and tongue area. The sublingual glands, which are the smallest, are found under the floor of the mouth and below either side of the tongue.

There are about 600 to 1,000 minor salivary glands which are too small to see without a microscope. These minor glands are found beneath the lining of the lips, tongue, hard and soft palate, and inside the cheeks, nose, sinuses, and voice box. Tumors that start in the minor salivary glands are more likely to be cancerous.

Tumors can start from any of several types of cells found in the salivary glands. Benign tumors do not spread from the salivary gland to other parts of the body. They are almost always cured by surgery. Only cancerous tumors will be covered in the rest of this document.

Salivary gland cancer may be named after the type of cell from which it started. There are many different cell types. Salivary gland cancers are also given a grade of 1, 2, or 3 based on how they look under a microscope. Grade 1 (also called low-grade) cancer cells look more like normal cells and have a better outlook. Grade 3 (high-grade) look very different from normal cells and are likely to grow and spread more quickly. Grade 2 cancers are in between.

If you have salivary gland cancer, ask your doctor to explain exactly what kind of cancer you have, where it started, and the grade of the cancer. Last Revised: 12/22/2005