Salivary-gland cancer is a very rare cancer in the United States. In fact, more than half of the tumors doctors find in the salivary glands are benign. Salivary-gland cancers account for less than half of 1 percent of all cancers, and because of...
Cancer can occur on the roof of the mouth, the floor of the mouth, the tongue, the lips, the tonsils or the throat. There are approximately 30,000 cases of mouth cancer in the United States each year, accounting for 2 percent of all cancer,...
Cancers of the throat and mouth are included in the general grouping of head and neck cancers. These cancers can arise in the tongue, lining of the mouth, gums, roof of the mouth, tonsils, salivary glands, throat and voice box. The National Cancer...
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...
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is an uncommon form of malignant cancer affecting the salivary glands. The generally slow-growing tumors, sometimes known as mucoepidermoids, frequently recur and may spread to other parts of the body. There are several...
The area around your jaw has multiple sets of glands and nodes that can swell painfully in response to illness or injury. Anything from a virus like a cold or the mumps to cysts, salivary gland stones and sometimes cancer can cause this, so...
According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 21,000 men and 9,000 women were diagnosed with oral cancer in the United States in 2009. The majority of men and women affected by this type of cancer are over 60 years of age. Oral cancer is a...
Lemon drops have been a popular hard candy since production in Europe began in the late 18th century. Traditionally, lemon drops were sold at drugstores and apothecary shops as a medicinal product to mask unpleasant tastes. According the Nut...
Xolair, also known as omalizumab, is a medication that belongs to the drug category of monoclonal antibodies, according to Medline Plus. It treats asthma attacks (a condition characterized by wheezing and trouble breathing) when inhaled steroids...
Complex carbohydrates are made up of three or more sugar molecules. Cellulose is one type of complex carbohydrate found in fiber, while starch is the second type. You can't digest fiber, but your body makes enzymes, including amylase, to help...
Smoking causes about 400,000 Americans to die annually. This is more people than are killed annually by AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, fires, homicides, illegal drugs, poor diet, sedentary lifestyles and suicides combined, according to the...
Abnormally decreased saliva production causes dry mouth, also known as xerostomia. Dry mouth frequently leads to other symptoms and problems, including mouth sores, burning, decreased or altered taste, and an increased incidence of tooth decay....
Saliva keeps the mouth and lips moist, which prevents cracking, infection and ulceration of these modified skin surfaces. Salivary moisture also keeps the mouth clean and aids in the sense of taste by bathing the taste buds. Paired salivary glands...
During an early part of the 20th century, baking soda was an integral part of teeth cleaning regimen for many as a way to ward off tooth and gum infections. Today, many toothpaste manufacturers market baking soda toothpastes. Unfortunately,...
Your testosterone levels are low, and your doctor has prescribed replacement therapy. You're not alone. Millions of men and women take testosterone for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, the hormone can come with the unpleasant side effect of...
When your mouth is so dry that your teeth stick to your lips, it can be the symptom of a serious medical condition. Having a dry mouth can lead to greater tooth decay, as your body uses saliva to break down food particles that cling to teeth. You...
Xerostomia is a condition characterized by dry mouth due to a lack of saliva. Along with a dry mouth, patients with xerostomia experience cracked lips, bad breath, difficulty speaking and sore throat. In addition to the discomfort it causes,...
Alcohol and tobacco use are the leading causes of preventable diseases, health conditions and deaths in the United States, according to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. A person may be either a smoker or a drinker but in...
Your dentist is likely to be the first medical professional to spot signs that you may have a case of oral cancer. This happens most often when the cancer is confined to your lip, mouth, tongue or salivary glands. Your dentist may find symptoms of...
Dry mouth isn't an uncommon problem, particularly if you're feeling nervous. Fortunately, dry mouth caused by your emotions is only a temporary problem that is quickly relieved with a drink of water. When dry mouth occurs on a regular basis and...
The thyroid gland, a two-part gland at the base of your neck, regulates the body's metabolism, heart rate and pulse. There are several types of thyroid cancer, cancer that starts in the thyroid cells, most of which are curable, reports the...
Cancer of the mouth includes cancers that form in the tissues of the oral cavity and in the oropharynx, the beginning of the throat at the back of the mouth. Throat cancer develops anywhere along the pharynx, the hollow tube that goes from the...
Xerostomia, or dry mouth, results from reduced saliva flow, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Xerostomia is not related to age and is not a disease. It is a symptom of some medical disorders, a side effect of many medications, or a result...
Follicular thyroid cancer is a rare kind of thyroid cancer, making up one out of 10 thyroid cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. It develops from follicular cells of the thyroid. Although surgery is a common treatment for thyroid...
A dry throat may be a temporary condition created by weather or wind, but chronically dry throat may indicate the presence of disease. Dry throat may be accompanied by body aches, cough, nasal drainage, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or fever. These...
Doctors name cancers for the organ or region where they originate. For example, diagnosing "neck cancer" isn't specific enough for a doctor to plan the best course of treatment. However, sometimes doctors can't find the origin of the cancer. If a...
The human body is composed of trillions of cells, which have distinctive functions. They form the tissues that make up the organs including the muscles, heart, liver and lungs. Some organs have rapid cellular turnover, meaning the cells die and...
The fact that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health is hardly new information. Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and early death in the United States. So why do so many teens continue to smoke? There are...
Radiation therapy can be used to treat many different types of cancers involving all parts of the body. Many people have few initial side effects but this may change as treatment continues; the effects are usually limited to the areas of the body...
Salivary Gland cancer occurs in the salivary glands that produce saliva. The cancer develops in the inner lining or some part of the glands. Learn more about this cancer in this video.
Oral cancer is a kind of cancer that affects some part of the mouth. This cancer sees many people diagnosed with it annually, but it is also very curable if detected early. Watch this video for more information on this condition and how to fight it.