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Malignant salivary gland tumours

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Malignant salivary gland tumors are divided histologically into low-grade and high-grade malignancies:

  • Low-grade malignancies:
    • acinic cell tumors
    • mucoepidermoid carcinoma (grades I or II)
  • High-grade malignancies:
    • mucoepidermoid carcinoma (grade III)
    • adenocarcinoma:
      • poorly differentiated carcinoma
      • anaplastic carcinoma
    • squamous cell carcinoma
    • malignant mixed tumours
    • adenoid cystic carcinoma

The malignant tumours commonly affecting the major salivary glands include:

  • mucoepidermoid carcinoma
  • acinic cell carcinoma,
  • adenoid cystic carcinoma, and less frequently,
  • primary squamous cell carcinomas
  • pleomorphic adenomas, often derived from benign neoplasms

Among minor salivary glands:

  • adenoid cystic carcinoma is the most common
  • adenocarcinoma
  • mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Ref: US National Cancer Instute Salivary Gland Cancer (PDQ®): Treatment

 


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