Treatment for salivary gland cancer

There are things you can do to help you feel more in control of your physical and mental health when preparing for treatment. In the hospital, preparing for treatment is also called prehabilitation or prehab.

The main treatments for salivary gland cancer are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. You might have one or more of these treatments.

There are different types of surgery for salivary gland cancer. The type of surgery you might have depends on where the cancer started and how far it has spread. 

The radiotherapy team will plan your radiotherapy before you start treatment.

Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. You might have it if your cancer is advanced, or if you can't have surgery or radiotherapy.

Targeted drugs work by targeting the differences in cancer cells that help them to grow and survive. They are a treatment for salivary gland cancer when the cancer has spread or other treatments stop working. 

After treatment for salivary gland cancer you have regular check ups. You might have blood tests or scans.