Statistics and outlook for salivary gland cancer

This page contains quite detailed information about the survival rates of different stages of salivary gland cancer. We have included it because people ask us for this. But not everyone who is diagnosed with a cancer wants to read this type of information. If you are not sure whether you want to know at the moment, you might like to skip this page for now. You can always come back to it.

Please note that there are no national statistics available for different stages of cancer or treatments that people have had. The statistics we present here are pulled together from a variety of different sources, including the opinions and experience of the experts who check each section of of this website. We provide statistics because people ask us for them. But they are only intended as a general guide and cannot tell you what will happen in your individual case.

The section about incidence, mortality and survival statistics explains the different types of cancer statistics. Unless you are very familiar with medical statistics, it might help to read this before you read the statistics below.

Remember – You may hear doctors use the term 5 year survival. This does not mean that you will only live 5 years. It relates to the number of people who are alive 5 years after diagnosis. Doctors follow what happens to people for at least 5 years after treatment in any research study. This is because there is only a small chance of the cancer coming back more than 5 years after treatment. Doctors do not like to say these people are cured because there is that small chance. So they use the term 5 year survival instead.

Salivary gland cancers are rare. Less than 1 out of every 100 cancers diagnosed in the UK (0.5%) are salivary gland cancers. Most tumours of the salivary gland are not cancer, they are benign tumours.

There are 3 main or major salivary glands and hundreds of minor salivary glands. Cancers of the salivary gland usually develop in the largest of the salivary glands, the parotid gland. Around 8 out of 10 salivary gland tumours (80%) are in the parotid.

Just under 2 out of 10 salivary gland cancers develop in the other 2 major salivary glands – the submandibular or sublingual glands.

Fewer than 1 in 10 cancers start in the minor salivary glands.

There are many different types of salivary gland cancer. The most common are mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Between 1 in 4 and just over 3 out of 10 (25 to 35%) salivary gland cancers are this type.

As with many cancers, the outlook with salivary gland cancer depends on the stage, grade and type of cancer you have. There is information below about the outlook for different types of salivary gland cancer.

Overall, for all types and stages of salivary gland cancer, around 3 out of 4 women (75%) and 6 out of 10 men (60%) will live for at least 10 years after their cancer is diagnosed.

There are many different types of salivary gland cancer and some are very rare. This can make it difficult to draw conclusions from the statistics because they are based on small numbers of people. The following figures are the overall survival statistics for all stages of these types of salivary gland cancer.

With adenoid cystic carcinoma just under 8 out of 10 people (78%) live for at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed.

For mucoepidermoid cancers, grade is important in the outlook for the cancer. For low grade cancers, between 8 and 9 out of every 10 people (80 to 90%) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis. The outlook for high grade cancers is not so good, with between 2 and 4 out of every 10 people (20 to 40%) living for at least 5 years.

Acinic cancers generally have quite a good outlook. Between 8 and 9 out of every 10 people (80 to 90%) live for at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed.

For adenocarcinomas and malignant mixed tumours, about 5 out of 10 people (50%) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the salivary gland does not have quite such a good outlook. About 1 in 4 people (25%) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis.

For early stage cancer of the major salivary glands, the outlook is generally quite good. With stage 1 cancer more than 9 out of 10 people (90%) live for at least 10 years after their cancer is diagnosed.

With stage 2 cancer of a major salivary gland, around 3 out of 4 people (75%) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis. Nearly 7 out of 10 people (70%) live for at least 10 years after their diagnosis.

With a stage 3 major salivary gland cancer, just over 7 out of 10 people (70%) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis. Just under 6 out of 10 people (60%) live for at least 10 years.

As with most cancers, stage 4 cancer has the poorest outlook. With cancer of a major salivary gland, just under 4 out of 10 people (40%) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis. Around 3 out of 10 people (30%) live for at least 10 years after their diagnosis.

Only 1 in 10 salivary gland cancers start in the minor salivary glands. They are very rare.

With rare cancers, survival figures are harder to find and can be less reliable because the numbers are small. Please do remember that we are providing these as a guide. Statistics are always general and can never predict exactly what will happen to any individual person.

Overall between 5 and 6 out of 10 people (50 to 60%) with a minor salivary gland cancer live for at least 10 years after their diagnosis.

Like many cancers the stage of the cancer when it is diagnosed affects the outlook. For minor salivary gland cancers

• With stage 1, about 8 out 10 people (80%) live for at least 5 years
• With a stage 2 cancer, around 7 out of 10 people (70%) live for at least 5 years
• With a stage 3 cancer, around 6 out of 10 people (60%) live for at least 5 years
• With the most advanced stage (stage 4) around 3 out of 10 people (30%) live for at least 5 years

No statistics can tell you what will happen to you. Your cancer is unique. The same type of cancer can grow at different rates in different people. The statistics are not detailed enough to tell you

• About the different treatments people may have had
• How that treatment may affect their outlook

Many individual factors will determine your treatment and prognosis. So it is always best to discuss any figures with your own specialist, who has all your notes and treatment details.

Research evidence shows that taking part in clinical trials may improve outlook. No one is completely sure why this is. It is probably partly to do with your doctors and nurses monitoring you more closely if you are in a trial. For example, you may have more scans and blood tests. There is more information in our trials and research section. To search our clinical trials database for trials for salivary gland cancer, pick 'salivary gland cancer' from the dropdown menu of cancer types. Tick the boxes for closed trials and results if you want to see all the trials.