Acinic cell carcinoma is a rare type of salivary gland cancer. It’s often treatable with surgery, but some people develop high-grade cancer that can spread to distant body parts.
Acinic cell carcinoma often develops in your parotid glands. Parotid glands are the major salivary glands in the front and below your ears.
Medical professionals consider acinic cell carcinoma a low-grade cancer, meaning that it does not tend to be aggressive. People often receive the diagnosis before it spreads to other tissues. It’s often treatable with surgery alone.
A small number of people have a more aggressive form of acinic cell carcinoma. The aggressive form can spread to the lungs, lymph nodes, or other body parts. Healthcare professionals often recommend radiation therapy for these types of cancers.
This article examines acinic cell carcinoma in more depth, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options.
How common is acinic cell carcinoma?
Acinic cell carcinoma is a rare type of cancer. It makes up about 6% to 10% of salivary gland cancer. Salivary gland cancers are fairly rare. An estimated
The most common initial symptom of acinic cell carcinoma is a slow-growing mass within your parotid gland. Pain is present in more than
Although most cases of acinic cell carcinoma develop in the parotid gland, it can also develop in your:
- submandibular gland below your jawline
- sublingual gland under your tongue
- other minor salivary glands dispersed throughout your mouth
Other potential
- changes to the shape or size of one side of your face or neck
- numbness in part of your face
- weakness in one side of your face
- difficulty to fully open your mouth
- difficulty swallowing
Where does acinic cell carcinoma typically spread (metastasize) to?
Medical experts originally described acinic cell carcinoma in the late 19th century as a benign tumor. In the 1950s, it was recognized as malignant, meaning cancerous, due to its tendency to reoccur after treatment and spread to other areas.
When acinic cell carcinoma spreads, it often spreads to the lungs or lymph nodes in the neck. Mostly, it spreads through the bloodstream.
Other places it may spread include:
- bone
- liver
- brain
- thyroid
- spleen
Like with most other types of cancer, researchers don’t know precisely why some people develop acinic cell carcinoma. Acinic cell carcinoma often develops without any known risk factors or family history.
A tumor forms when the cells in the salivary glands undergo genetic changes that cause them to replicate uncontrollably. Genetic and environmental factors likely play a role in the development of acinic cell carcinoma.
Some people seem to be at an increased risk. Known risk factors include:
- female sex
- increasing age, half of people receiving a diagnosis are above the age of 52 years
- family history
- radiation exposure, such as from previous cancer treatment with radiation therapy
Although acinic cell carcinoma is most common in adults, it can also develop in children.
The diagnostic process for acinic cell carcinoma often starts by visiting a doctor. They will perform initial tests such as:
- considering your symptoms
- reviewing your personal and family medical history
- performing a physical exam to look for characteristic signs
If they suspect that you might have cancer or another type of tumor, you may receive imaging tests such as:
These tests can also help your doctor see the extent of your tumor and whether it has spread to other areas.
A person with acinic cell carcinoma will need a
The main treatment for acinic cell carcinoma is surgical removal of the tumor. This might be the only treatment that you need if the cancer is present in your salivary gland and it doesn’t have features suggesting it to be aggressive.
Your doctor may consider radiation therapy if they think that the cancer might spread to other tissues or if there’s a high risk it might spread.
You may receive palliative chemotherapy if the cancer has spread to distant body parts. Palliative means that the main goal of treatment is to reduce your symptoms and extend your life rather than cure the cancer.
Acicin cell carcinoma is often curable with surgery or with surgery combined with radiation therapy. It’s usually considered a low-grade cancer with a good outlook.
About 15% to 20% of people have a high-grade variation that’s more aggressive and more difficult to treat. About one-half to three-quarters of high-grade cancers in people spread to distant body parts.
A case study suggests that the 5-year survival rate for acinic cell carcinoma is as high as 97%. In a 2023 study, researchers reported a 5-year survival rate of 90.6% among 2,226 cases and a 5-year disease-specific survival of 94.6%.
- pain
- invasion of cancer in other tissues
- certain microscopic and genetic features
Acinic cell carcinoma is a rare type of salivary gland cancer. It often develops in one of your parotid glands present below and front of your ear.
The outlook for acinic cell carcinoma tends to be excellent. But, a small number of people develop aggressive cancer that has a high risk of spreading to other locations.
The most common initial symptom of acinic cell carcinoma is a lump that forms in your lower face. It’s important to speak with a doctor anytime you develop a lump in your face or other symptoms like unexplained pain. These symptoms could be a sign of cancer.
Like most cancers, acinic cell carcinoma tends to have a better outlook the sooner a person receives a diagnosis and gets the appropriate treatment.