Head and neck cancer
Salivary gland cancer
Salivary glands produce saliva, which keeps your mouth moist and helps withswallowing and digestion.
There are three main pairs of salivary glands. They are the:
- parotid glands located between your cheeks and your ears
- sublingual glands located under your tongue
- submandibular glands located under each side of your jawbone
Salivary gland cancer most commonly affects the parotid glands.
The main symptom of salivary gland cancer is a lump or swelling on or near your jaw, or in your mouth or neck, although the vast majority of these lumps are non-cancerous. Other symptoms can include numbness in part of your face and drooping on one side of your face.
To read more about salivary gland cancer, visit Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support .
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Definition
Read about the main types of cancer that affect the head and neck including mouth cancer, thyroid cancer and laryngeal cancer.
Mouth cancer
Mouth cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer. It can affect a number of areas in and around the mouth, including the: lips tongue inside of the cheeks floor or roof of the mouth gums
Salivary gland cancer
Salivary glands produce saliva, which keeps your mouth moist and helps withswallowing and digestion. There are three main pairs of salivary glands. They are the: parotid glands located between your
Nose and sinus cancer
Nose and sinus cancer affects the nasal cavity (above the roof of your mouth) and the sinuses (the small, air-filled cavities inside the bones of the nose and within the cheekbones and forehead). The
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