Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Causes, Screening and Diagnosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 6558

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Head and Neck Surgery Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
Interests: head and neck malignant tumors; all especially those of the salivary glands, paranasal sinuses, and skull base
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Guest Editor
1. Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
2. Translational Oncology Unit, IRCCS ICS Maugeri, Pavia, Italy
Interests: head and neck cancer; salivary glands cancer; thyroid carcinomas

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Guest Editor
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo 05403-000, Brazil
Interests: head and neck tumors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Salivary gland malignancies represent one of the most complex groups of tumors from a pathological point of view. They show a striking range of morphological diversity between different tumor types. In fact, all the WHO classifications that have occurred over time report more than 20 histotypes. Furthermore, the rarity of some of these histotypes needs a skilled pathologist for diagnosis. Parotid tumors are far more common than neoplasms in the other sites (70–80%), but only 20% are malignant. Approximately 50% of the tumors in the submandibular gland and 70% of those in the minor salivary glands are malignant. Because of the high frequency of parotid tumors, despite the low rate of malignant ones, parotid malignancies are more common than those of other salivary glands.

It is almost universally established that the diagnostic work-up should include FNA, in addition to CT and/or MRI, when needed.

Upfront surgery is the most appropriate treatment for resectable tumors. The attitude towards parotid tumors that come into contact with the facial nerve is controversial (preservation with post-operative radiotherapy or resection and reconstruction). Another controversial question is the prophylactic neck dissection in N0 patients.

These and other topics related to salivary gland carcinomas will be covered in this Special Issue

Dr. Giulio Cantù
Prof. Dr. Laura D. Locati
Prof. Dr. Luiz P. Kowalski
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • salivary gland tumors
  • head and neck cancer
  • facial nerve preservation
  • facial nerve reconstruction
  • facial nerve sacrifice
  • parotid cancer
  • parotidectomy
  • prognostic factors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
Rationale for Increasing Oncological Vigilance in Relation to Clinical Findings in Accessory Parotid Gland—Observations Based on 2192 Cases of the Polish Salivary Network Database
by Małgorzata Wierzbicka, Ewelina Bartkowiak, Wioleta Pietruszewska, Dominik Stodulski, Jarosław Markowski, Paweł Burduk, Izabela Olejniczak, Aleksandra Piernicka-Dybich, Małgorzata Wierzchowska, Katarzyna Amernik, Alicja Chańko, Daniel Majszyk, Antoni Bruzgielewicz, Patrycja Gazinska and Bogusław Mikaszewski
Cancers 2024, 16(2), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16020463 - 22 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1216
Abstract
The accessory parotid gland (APG, Vth level) differs in histological structure from main parotid tissue. This gives rise to the hypothesis, mirrored in clinical observations, that the representation of tumours is different than in the rest of the gland. The aim of the [...] Read more.
The accessory parotid gland (APG, Vth level) differs in histological structure from main parotid tissue. This gives rise to the hypothesis, mirrored in clinical observations, that the representation of tumours is different than in the rest of the gland. The aim of the study was to analyse the epidemiological and histological differences of parotid tumours located in regions I–V, with particular emphasis on the distinctiveness of region V. To define the epidemiological factors that will indicate the risk of histological malignancy from clinically benign appearance, multicentre prospective studies conducted between 2017–2021 by five Head and Neck Surgery University Departments, cooperating within the Polish Salivary Network Database 1929 patients (1048 women and 881 men), were included. The age, gender, patient occupation, place of inhabitation, tumour size, clinical features of malignancy, histology, and facial nerve (FN) paresis were analysed for superficial (I_II) and deep (III_IV) lobes and with special regard to the tumours affecting region V. Twenty eight tumours were located exclusively in region V (1.45% total) and seventy-two tumours were found in region V exhibiting extensions to neighbouring regions (3.7% total), characterised as significantly younger and less frequent in retirees. In I–IV regions, approximately 90% of tumours were benign, with pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and Whartin tumour (WT) predominance. In region V, PA exceeded 75% but WT were casuistic (2/28). Incidences of malignancies in region V was 40% but clinical signs of malignancy were evident only in tumours > 4 cm or in the presence of FN paresis. In 19% of patients with a benign appearance, imaging revealed malignancy; however, 38% of patients showed false negative results both in terms of clinical and radiological features of malignancy. Logistic regression models in 28 patients with tumours located exclusively in region V vs. 1901 other patients and in 100 patients with V extension vs. 1829 other patients showed no clinical symptoms of malignancy binding with final malignant tumour histology as a single variable or in combination with other variables. The logistic regression models obtained in this study show strong linkage between tumour location and predictors (age, male gender, and tumour diameter) and also aimed to function as a good classifier. Our conclusion is that, despite the very clear image of the mid-cheek tumour which is easily accessible in palpation and ultrasound examination, it is necessary to improve oncological vigilance and preoperative patient preparation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma)
14 pages, 1247 KiB  
Article
Surgical Treatment of Carcinomas of the Oral Minor Salivary Glands—Oncological Outcome in Dependence of Tumor Entity and Therapeutic Strategies
by Julius Moratin, Dominik Horn, Karl Semmelmayer, Oliver Ristow, Michael Engel, Jürgen Hoffmann, Moritz Bleymehl, Thomas Held, Sven Zittel and Christian Freudlsperger
Cancers 2023, 15(15), 3895; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15153895 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1291
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes of three types of minor salivary gland carcinomas (adenoid-cystic carcinomas (ACC), adeno carcinomas not otherwise specified (AC-NOS), and mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC)) after primary surgical therapy. A retrospective cohort study was designed and [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes of three types of minor salivary gland carcinomas (adenoid-cystic carcinomas (ACC), adeno carcinomas not otherwise specified (AC-NOS), and mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC)) after primary surgical therapy. A retrospective cohort study was designed and patients with cancer of the minor oral salivary glands treated in our department in the years 2011 to 2022 were included. Clinicopathological data were evaluated to compare overall survival and progression-free survival between the entities. Eighty-one patients were included. The rates of cervical metastases were 38.9% for ACC, 25% for MEC, and 9.1% for AC-NOS. ACC exhibited significantly higher rates of local and systemic disease recurrence (p = 0.02), and the presence of neck node metastases was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival (p = 0.014). Treatment success in terms of oncological outcome varied significantly between the different entities and implies different treatment regimens for each tumor entity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma)
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Review

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18 pages, 701 KiB  
Review
Exploring Immunological Effects and Novel Immune Adjuvants in Immunotherapy for Salivary Gland Cancers
by Ryosuke Sato, Hidekiyo Yamaki, Hiroki Komatsuda, Risa Wakisaka, Takahiro Inoue, Takumi Kumai and Miki Takahara
Cancers 2024, 16(6), 1205; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16061205 - 19 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
Salivary gland cancer (SGC) is rare and comprises over 20 histological subtypes. Recently, clinical experience regarding immunotherapies for SGCs has been accumulating, yet their efficacy remains controversial. Understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME), including the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in SGC, is crucial [...] Read more.
Salivary gland cancer (SGC) is rare and comprises over 20 histological subtypes. Recently, clinical experience regarding immunotherapies for SGCs has been accumulating, yet their efficacy remains controversial. Understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME), including the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in SGC, is crucial to optimizing immunotherapy. In this review, we demonstrate that high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and salivary duct carcinoma generally exhibit immune-hot TME with high immune cell infiltration, frequent genetic mutations, and robust immune checkpoint molecule expression. In contrast, adenoid cystic carcinomas exhibit an immune-cold TME. While the reported efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for SGCs is generally poor, several studies showed promising clinical efficacy of ICIs, with an objective response rate ranging from 20.0–33.3%, indicating that ICIs might be beneficial for a specific population of SGC. Molecule-targeted therapies including anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and anti-androgen receptor therapies have shown promising clinical efficacy against SGC. Recent evidence indicates that these molecules could be targets for antigen-specific immunotherapies including chimeric antigen receptor-T therapy and cancer vaccines. This review discusses the current understanding and future directions of immunotherapies for SGCs, including ongoing clinical trials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma)
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7 pages, 214 KiB  
Review
Radical Resection of Malignant Tumors of Major Salivary Glands: Is This Possible?
by Giulio Cantù
Cancers 2024, 16(4), 687; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16040687 - 6 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1182
Abstract
In primary therapy, a universally recognized surgical indication applies to all tumors of the salivary glands. According to the classic rule, radical resection of a head and neck tumor requires clean margins of at least 5 mm, although recent studies have shown that [...] Read more.
In primary therapy, a universally recognized surgical indication applies to all tumors of the salivary glands. According to the classic rule, radical resection of a head and neck tumor requires clean margins of at least 5 mm, although recent studies have shown that for certain locations, 1 mm may be sufficient. In the surgical resection of a tumor of the salivary glands, especially of the parotid gland, can these rules be respected? Owing to the complex branching and connections of the facial nerve within the parotid gland, even a medium-sized malignant tumor may be in contact with a branch of the nerve, thus raising the question of its preservation. The facial nerve is so important from a functional and aesthetic point of view that it is commonly believed that it should be preserved unless it is incorporated into the tumor. This is a compromise between an oncological resection, that is, the complete excision of the tumor with no residual cancer cells left behind, and quality of life. Almost all authors try to overcome this lack of radicality by indicating postoperative (chemo)radiotherapy. In this article, the pros and cons of nerve preservation will be analyzed by examining the published studies on this topic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma)
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