Review Article - Otolaryngology Online Journal (2014) Volume 4, Issue 3

A review of Salivary gland Neoplasms and its management

Salivary gland neoplasm are a diverse group of tumors which are often benign and commonly arise from the parotid gland. PubMed search engine was used to search for relevant articles. The main challenge in the management of these tumours is to distinguish them between benign and malignant types and treat them accordingly. FNAC is a very useful investigation in this regard with high accuracy. MRI or CT scan are also useful, in knowing the extent of lesion especially when the tumour involves the deep lobe or extends to parapharyngeal space. Most of the low grade tumours and benign lesions can be managed by surgery alone whereas high grade and advanced lesions will require adjuvant treatment in the form of radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is mostly used in the palliative set up, whereas molecular targeted therapy is still in experimental stage only. In this article, we review the literature to highlight the current understanding in the evaluation and management of salivary gland neoplasms.

Author(s): Thiagarajan Shivakumar Nair.V.Sudhir Joshi Poonam Chaturvedi Pankaj

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