Acinic cell carcinoma overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Acinic cell carcinoma is one of the salivary gland tumors. The symptoms of acinic cell carcinoma include enlarged salivary gland, nausea, vomiting and digestion problems. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Pathophysiology
Features of acinic cell carcinoma on fine needle aspiration include stippled chromatin and granular cytoplasm.
Differential diagnosis
Acinic cell carcinoma should be differentiated from parotitis, parotid gland benign tumor and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
Epidemiology and demographics
Acinic cell carcinoma can appear at any age however, it is common in children.
Risk factors
Radiation exposure and positive family history are known risk factors for acinic cell carcinoma.
Screening
Screening is not recommended for acinic cell carcinoma.
Natural history, prognosis and complications
Acinic cell carcinoma is a slow growing tumor and it may affect the facial nerve or other adjacent tissues depending on its location. Prognosis is most favorable when the parotid gland is involved.
History and symptoms
Acinic cell carcinoma commonly presents with a mass in the neck, difficulty in swallowing and persistent pain.
Physical Examination
Physical examination of neck may reveal a firm swelling and tenderness.
Staging
Staging of acinic cell carcinoma depends on tumor size and location.
Treatment
Patients with acinic cell carcinoma have many treatment options. The selection depends on the stage of the tumor. The options are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these methods.
- Surgery: Surgery is usually the main form of treatment for resectable salivary gland cancers.
- Radiation therapy: High-energy x-rays and other types of radiations are used to kill cancer cells from keep growing.
- Chemotherapy: The treatment is to use drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.