Treatment:

The recommended treatment is usually surgery to remove the affected salivary gland. If the tumor is benign, no other treatment is usually needed.

Radiation therapy or extensive surgery may be needed if the tumor is cancerous. Chemotherapy is sometimes used in patients who are considered high risk, or when the disease has spread beyond the salivary glands.

Expectations (prognosis):

Most salivary gland tumors are noncancerous and slow growing. Removing the tumor with surgery usually cures the condition. In rare cases, the tumor is cancerous and further treatment is needed.

Complications:

• Cancerous tumors may cause further complications, including spread to other organs (metastasis).
• Rarely, surgery to remove the tumor can injure the nerve that controls movement of the face.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if:

• You have pain when eating or chewing
• You notice a lump in the mouth, under the jaw, or in the neck that does not go away in 2 - 3 weeks or is getting larger