Salivary Gland Cancer
Malignant salivary gland tumors, or salivary gland cancer, is a form of cancer that can occur in any of the glands in the mouth, throat or neck. Healthy salivary glands consist of several types of cells, and malignant or cancerous growths can occur in any of these cells. The salivary glands are responsible for producing saliva, which the body needs to keep the mouth moist and help maintain healthy digestion. The three major pairs of salivary glands are located behind and under the jaw and are called the submandibular, sublingual and parotid. Hundreds more minor salivary glands reside throughout the throat, mouth, lips, and cheeks.
Although salivary gland cancer is rare, it is most likely to occur in the parotid glands, which are closest to the ears. This common type of salivary gland cancer is called a mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and it generally is considered to be a low-grade cancer that doesn't spread quickly. Salivary gland cancers are graded on a scale of 1 to 3 (with one being the lowest) based on how abnormal the cells appear. This grade also is used as an indicator of how quickly the malignancy may grow or spread.
Why UAB
A multispecialty tumor board meets weekly to discuss treatment options for patients with new and recurrent disease. A comprehensive patient support network is in place and often functions as the first line of contact for patients during treatment and post-treatment follow-up.
Our Virtual Multidisciplinary Clinic allows patients to come from a distance and have much of their initial assessment done in one day, often avoiding multiple visits to multiple doctors.
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Welcome to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
The first day of your cancer journey can be scary and unknown, but as throat cancer survivor Sherry learned, meeting UAB's expert team is all it takes to know you're in the right place for superb cancer care. Welcome to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, where your fight becomes our fight.
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CLINICAL TRIALS
UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland cancer . We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information.
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- Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic
Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic
The Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic takes an interdisciplinary approach to caring for patients with serious illnesses, whether they are in active treatment or have completed treatment. Our goal is to help patients fulfill their maximum physical, emotional, spiritual, vocational, and social potential.
The health professionals at the Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic help patients manage the side effects associated with cancer. Referrals to the Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic can be made by any treating physician or nurse or by patient self-referral. A broad range of insurance is accepted.
Patient appointment scheduling is flexible and based on patient needs and other concurrent treatments. Clinic sessions are held Wednesday and Friday mornings with palliative care physicians and fellows. A physician assistant is available Monday through Friday.
Our Team
Physicians and physician assistants have special expertise in complex symptom management including depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain syndromes, and others.
Nurses support patients by facilitating the clinic sessions as well as managing communication with patients. They are the front line of patient care.
Physical therapists develop individualized programs for each patient to help with coordination, balance, strength, endurance, flexibility, or range of motion. Counselors are experienced in structuring counseling sessions to meet the specific needs of each person. Individual, couple, and family sessions are available.
Nutritionists have expertise in nutrition for patients with serious illnesses.
Massage therapists are trained in all types of massage, including oncology massage, which is a specialized approach that supports the body's health before, during, and after treatment for cancer.
Our clinic is an active teaching environment with fellows, residents, and students in both medicine and nursing participating in patient care.
Location
The UAB Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic is located on the 3rd floor of The Kirklin Clinic.
Patients can request an appointment online or by calling UAB Healthfinder at 205.934.9999 or 800.822.8816.
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS
- Genome: Unlocking Life's Code
- Spirituality Group
Do you have your mother’s dimples? Or your father’s hairline? What makes us, us? And how much of it actually sets us apart from every other living thing on Earth?
Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code begins to unravel the mystery behind the complete set of instructions needed for every living thing on Earth to grow and function: the genome. Discover how your genome could be the key to maximizing your future quality of life as genomic science helps open the way to more personalized healthcare. See yourself in a new way: as an individual, as a member of a family, and as part of the diversity of life on Earth.
Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code opens January 19 at McWane Science Center and was made possible in part by financial support secured by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The exhibit is sponsored by UAB Medicine, which is using its knowledge of the human genome to advance the field of precision medicine, an exciting approach to health care that combines the absolute latest in the prediction and prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease to deliver truly individualized patient care.
Come explore your own spiritual, religious, or philosophical understanding of the world. For more information contact Chaplain Kelsey Blankenship - 205.801.7050 or kmblankenship@uabmc.edu
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center - WTI 220 (Patient Education Center)
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