Adenoid cystic carcinoma
Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare type of cancer that can exist in many different body sites. This tumor most often occurs in the salivary glands, but it can also be found in many anatomic sites, including the breast, lacrimal gland, lung, brain, Bartholin gland, trachea, and the paranasal sinuses.
| Adenoid cystic carcinoma | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Adenocyst, Malignant cylindroma, Adenocystic, Adenoidcystic |
| Micrograph of an adenoid cystic carcinoma of a salivary gland (right of image): Normal serous glands, typical of the parotid gland, are also seen (left of image), H&E stain. | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
It is the third-most common malignant salivary gland tumor overall (after mucoepidermoid carcinoma and polymorphous adenocarcinoma). It represents 28% of malignant submandibular gland tumors, making it the single most common malignant salivary gland tumor in this region. Patients may survive for years with metastases because this tumor is generally well-differentiated and slow growing. In a 1999 study of a cohort of 160 ACC patients, disease-specific survival was 89% at 5 years, but only 40% at 15 years, reflecting deaths from late-occurring metastatic disease.