Salivary gland tumor screening

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Simrat Sarai, M.D. [2]

Overview

According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, screening for salivary gland tumors is not recommended.^[1]

According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, screening for salivary gland tumors is not recommended. When salivary gland cancer is found and treated early, the chances of successful treatment are better.
Regular health checkups are recommended if symptoms of salivary gland cancer develop. As salivary gland cancer is not common, so doctors do not recommend testing for it unless someone has developed symptoms. Still, in many cases salivary gland cancer can be found early, because of its location. Often patients, or their doctors may notice a lump within one of the salivary glands. The routine part of general medical and dental check-ups include checking the salivary glands for tumors.^[1]