Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Apr 29:2023:7401458.
doi: 10.1155/2023/7401458. eCollection 2023.

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Salivary Glands: A Ten-Year Review and an Assessment of the Current Management, Surgery, Radiotherapy, and Chemotherapy

Affiliations
Review

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Salivary Glands: A Ten-Year Review and an Assessment of the Current Management, Surgery, Radiotherapy, and Chemotherapy

Eyad Saleh et al. Int J Otolaryngol. .

Abstract

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer that arises from the salivary glands and other sites in the body, such as the lung and breast. Although the tumor accounts for 10% of all salivary gland malignancies, it only accounts for 1% of head and neck malignancies. It can affect both major and minor salivary glands; here, it is called salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma or SACC, with a slight predilection to the latter, and commonly manifests between the 6th and 7th decades of life. The disease also shows a slight female predilection, with a reported female to male ratio of 3 : 2. Lesions of SACC are often insidious and slow-growing, and symptoms such as pain and altered sensation are frequently associated with advanced stages of the disease. Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma is characterized by perineural invasion (PNI), a distinctive feature that potentially plays a significant role in the tumor's relapse and recurrence, which is approximately 50%. The disease is not prevalent, and its etiopathogenesis is poorly understood, although several genetic patterns and biomarkers have been linked to its initiation and/or progression. The discovery of these mutations and biomarkers has encouraged several clinical studies to use therapeutic agents to target the specific receptors on the cancer cells to potentially prevent further proliferation of the tumor cells and metastasis of the disease. Diagnosis of SACC is often challenging and frequently requires a combination of clinical examination, imaging, and histopathology. Management of SACC is primarily surgical excision, while radiotherapy has shown to be effective in improving local control in cases with microscopic residual disease. However, treatment of recurrent or metastatic tumors by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy has so far shown limited success. The aim of this thesis is to provide an update of literature on SACC with a particular focus on the latest management approaches and future trends.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SACC search strategy.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Dillon P. M., Chakraborty S., Moskaluk C. A., Joshi P. J., Thomas C. Y. Adenoid cystic carcinoma: a review of recent advances, molecular targets, and clinical trials. Head and Neck . 2016;38(4):620–627. doi: 10.1002/hed.23925. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ellington C. L., Goodman M., Kono S. A., et al. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck. Cancer . 2012;118(18):4444–4451. doi: 10.1002/cncr.27408. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Belulescu I. C., Margaritescu C., Dumitrescu C. I., Dăguci L., Munteanu C., Margaritescu C. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of salivary gland: a ten-year single institute experience. Curr Health Sci J . 2020;46(1):56–65. doi: 10.12865/CHSJ.46.01.08. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Boyle T. A., Semus S., Joseph N. Epidemiology of adenoid cystic carcinoma in the United States. Journal of Clinical Oncology . 2020;38(15) doi: 10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e13600.13600 - DOI
    1. Galdirs T. M., Reich W., Eckert A. W. Current aspects of salivary gland tumors – a systematic review of the literature. GMS Interdiscip Plast Reconstr Surg DGPW . 2019;8:Doc12–8091. doi: 10.3205/iprs000138. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources