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Mucoepidermoid carcinomas are the most common type of salivary gland cancer. About 1 in 3 salivary gland cancers are mucoepidermoid carcinomas. Most start in the parotid glands. They develop less often in the submandibular glands or in minor salivary glands inside the mouth.

While cancer of the salivary glands is rare in children, it is the most common type of pediatric salivary gland cancer.

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Adenoid cystic carcinoma is the second most common type of salivary gland cancer. It is usually slow-growing and can start in the major or minor salivary glands. It can be hard to get rid of completely because it tends to spread along the nerves and can spread to distant areas like the lungs as well.

These tumors can come back after treatment, sometimes many years later. The outlook tends to be better if the tumor is smaller.

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Most acinic cell carcinomas start in the parotid gland. They tend to grow slower than some other salivary gland cancers. A person¡¯s outlook might be influenced by whether a tumor has grown into nearby tissue. These cancers can come back many years after they are first found.

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These tumors tend to start in the minor salivary glands in the roof of the mouth, cheek, or upper lip. They are more likely to be slow-growing and are often curable with surgery to remove the tumor. They are more common in women than men.

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These are aggressive cancers of the salivary gland that are more likely to spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant parts of the body. Certain tumor features, such as the HER2 gene change or the presence of androgen (hormone) receptors on tumor cells, are important for treatment.

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When seen in the lab, these cancers have enough features to show that they are adenocarcinomas, but not enough detail to classify them further. They are most commonly found in the parotid glands and the minor salivary glands.

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Several types of adenocarcinomas are quite rare. The outlook for rare adenocarcinomas often depends on the type, size, and whether they have spread.

• Basal cell adenocarcinoma
• Clear cell carcinoma
• Cystadenocarcinoma
• Sebaceous adenocarcinoma
• Sebaceous lymphadenocarcinoma
• Mucinous adenocarcinoma
• Oncocytic carcinoma

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Mixed tumors have more than one type of cancer cell. There are 3 types of malignant mixed tumors:

• Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (has benign cells and carcinoma cells)
• Carcinosarcoma (has both carcinoma and sarcoma cells)
• Metastasizing mixed tumor

Nearly all malignant mixed tumors are carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenomas. The other 2 types are very rare.

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma develops from a benign mixed tumor, also known as a pleomorphic adenoma. This tumor is found mainly in the major salivary glands. The grade of the cancer (how it looks under the microscope), how invasive it is, and its stage (extent) are important in predicting outlook.

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Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma: This is a rare tumor that is most often found in the parotid gland. These tumors tend to grow slowly, but they can come back after treatment and/or spread to other parts of the body.

Anaplastic small cell carcinoma: The cells in these tumors have neuroendocrine features. This means the cells get messages from nerves to release certain hormones. These tumors are most often found in minor salivary glands and tend to grow quickly.

Secretory carcinoma (Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma): These cancers can be found in the parotid, submandibular, or minor salivary glands. Most tend to grow slowly and can be treated with surgery to remove them. However, in some cases, they can come back or spread.

Undifferentiated carcinomas: This group of cancers includes small-cell undifferentiated carcinoma, large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma, lymphoepithelial carcinoma, myoepithelial carcinoma, and adenosquamous carcinoma. These tend to be more aggressive tumors that often spread. Overall, these tumors tend to be difficult to treat, and prognosis (outlook) is poor. Lymphoepithelial carcinoma is associated with the Epstein-Barr infection.

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Most non-Hodgkin lymphomas start in lymph nodes. Rarely, these cancers start in immune system cells within the salivary glands.

They behave and are treated differently from other types of cancers in the salivary glands. Most lymphomas that start in the salivary glands affect people with Sj?gren syndrome, a disorder that causes the immune system to attack salivary gland cells. For more information, see Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

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The salivary glands have blood vessels, muscle cells, and cells that make connective tissue. Cancers that start in these types of cells are called sarcomas. These rarely occur in the salivary glands. For more information, see Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

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Some cancers, like squamous cell skin cancer or melanoma, might start elsewhere but spread to the salivary glands. These cancers are treated based on where the cancer started.