Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma: 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 1968

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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 requires 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
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

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

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 1888 KiB  
Article
Frozen Section Analysis in Submandibular Gland Tumors: Optimizing Intraoperative Decision-Making
by Amir Bolooki, Felix Johnson, Anna Stenzl, Zhaojun Zhu and Benedikt Gabriel Hofauer
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050895 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 488
Abstract
Introduction: With around 25 different salivary gland tumor entities described by the World Health Organization, the correct preoperative identification of masses as benign or malignant remains a challenge. If preoperative needle biopsy is inconclusive, frozen section analysis is a possible alternative for [...] Read more.
Introduction: With around 25 different salivary gland tumor entities described by the World Health Organization, the correct preoperative identification of masses as benign or malignant remains a challenge. If preoperative needle biopsy is inconclusive, frozen section analysis is a possible alternative for accurate histological identification. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of frozen section performed for primary submandibular gland masses. Methods: In addition to acquiring epidemiological data from patients who underwent submandibular gland excision over a 20-year period, we analyzed the diagnostic effectiveness of frozen section performed for submandibular gland masses. We also examined the impact of frozen section on overall survival. Furthermore, we investigated whether there was an impact on the surgical revision rate for malignant submandibular gland masses that required additional neck dissection within the submandibular triangle. Results: Frozen section was performed for 54 submandibular gland tumors, with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 81.3%. Frozen section was conducted in 12 cases of primary salivary gland malignancies, of which 9 cases were identified correctly. In three cases, the frozen section results were inconclusive. We calculated a relative risk reduction of 27% for revision surgery by performing frozen section. There was no significant association between frozen section results and overall survival. Conclusions: Frozen section demonstrates a significant reduction in the need for revision surgery. With a specificity of 100%, frozen section is especially suited to identifying benign masses. It is a valid diagnostic tool when preoperative sampling is not possible or is inconclusive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma: 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 1633 KiB  
Review
Salivary Gland Cancers in the Era of Molecular Analysis: The Role of Tissue and Liquid Biomarkers
by Elisabetta Broseghini, Francesca Carosi, Mirea Berti, Samuele Compagno, Anna Ghelardini, Matteo Fermi, Giulia Querzoli and Daria Maria Filippini
Cancers 2025, 17(4), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17040660 - 15 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1216
Abstract
Background: Salivary gland cancers (SGCs) are a rare and heterogeneous group of malignancies, accounting for approximately 5% of head and neck cancers. Despite their rarity, advances in molecular profiling have revealed a variety of genetic and molecular pathways, many of which are [...] Read more.
Background: Salivary gland cancers (SGCs) are a rare and heterogeneous group of malignancies, accounting for approximately 5% of head and neck cancers. Despite their rarity, advances in molecular profiling have revealed a variety of genetic and molecular pathways, many of which are potentially actionable with targeted therapies. Methods: We reviewed the current literature involving the molecular landscape of SGCs, encompassing the diagnostic and prognostic value of tissue and liquid biomarkers and the potential therapeutic targets across various histological subtypes. Results: Our review highlights key molecular diagnostic findings such as the CRTC1-MAML2 fusion in mucoepidermoid carcinoma and MYB-NFIB rearrangements in adenoid cystic carcinoma, but also targetable alterations such as HER2 and AR positivity in salivary duct carcinoma and ETV6-NTRK3 fusion in secretory carcinoma. Liquid biopsy (both blood- or salivary-based), including circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, and miRNAs, offers novel, noninvasive approaches for disease monitoring and personalized treatment. Emerging therapies such as HER2 inhibitors, androgen deprivation therapy, and TRK inhibitors underscore the shift towards precision oncology in managing these malignancies. Conclusions: Despite promising advances, challenges remain due to the rarity and phenotypic heterogeneity of SGCs, emphasizing the need for molecularly stratified clinical trials. This review presents an overview of tissue and liquid biomarkers, focusing on molecular targets and therapeutic innovations that lay the foundation for improved diagnostic and treatment strategies for SGCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Salivary Gland Carcinoma: 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop