Acinic or acinar cells are grape-shaped cells present in many different glands, include the pancreas and salivary glands. Although rare, acinic cells can become cancerous, resulting in acinic cell carcinomas. These types of cancer tend to grow slowly but do have the ability to spread to other tissues if not treated.
Types
Acinic cells carcinoma can occur in three different places in the body, according to the Acinic Cell Carcinoma Information Center. The most common location for acinic cell carcinoma is in the salivary glands. Acinic cell carcinomas, according to the American Cancer Society, can also be located in the portions of the pancreas that produce digestive enzymes. It is also possible for acinic cell carcinomas to occur in the lungs, although these are extremely rare.
Pancreatic Form
Acinic cell carcinomas of the pancreas are a relatively rare cancer of the exocrine pancreas, which is the portion of the pancreas that produces and secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestines. Because this form of acinic cell carcinoma is very rare, there is little specific information about this variant of exocrine pancreas cancer. However, these tumors are often slower growing, so they have a better prognosis than other kinds of pancreatic cancer.
Salivary Gland Cancer
Acinic cell carcinomas of the salivary glands, the American Cancer Society explains, most commonly occur in the parotid glands, which are glands located in the cheeks. These types of cancer tend to grow very slowly and the cancerous cells are often described as "low-grade." This means that the cells are similar in appearance to normal tissue.
Incidence and Prognosis
Acinic cell carcinoma, according to The Doctor's Doctor, is the third most common type of epithelial salivary cancer, which describes cancers of the lining of the gland. It represents 17 percent of all cases of cancers that begin in the salivary gland. The average patient with this form of cancer is 44 years old, though it can affect patients of all ages. Women are slightly more likely than men to develop this form of cancer, and there is some evidence that links it to prior radiation treatments. The American Cancer Society notes that the prognosis for this type of cancer depends on how far the cancerous tissue has spread; the further the tumor has penetrated into the surrounding tissue, the worse the prognosis.
Treatment
As with many head-and-neck tumors, the preferred method of treatment for salivary acinic cell carcinomas is surgery, according to the Acinic Cell Carcinoma Information Center. It has not been established if removal of the entire gland is preferred or if it is better to attempt to remove only the cancerous tissue. Post-operative radiation therapy is often done to attempt to kill any cancer cells that may have been missed by the surgeon.
