Surgery for Malignant Sublingual and Minor Salivary Gland Neoplasms

Abstract

Malignant sublingual gland neoplasms are rare, early-stage neoplasms presenting as painless non-ulcerated masses in the antero-lateral floor of the mouth. The majority of patients present with advanced disease, with symptoms of pain or anaesthesia of the tongue. Malignant minor salivary gland neoplasms are more common, the majority (>80%) of which present in the oral cavity, most frequently in the palatal area, as painless masses or as obstructive symptoms in the head and neck region. The most frequent pathologies are adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (>85%), with the majority presenting at an advanced stage (III/IV). Wide tumour-free surgical margin excision is the treatment of choice, followed by radiotherapy, after discussion of the multidisciplinary head and neck cancer tumour board. Improvements in survival and quality of life have been achieved since the introduction of endoscopic and robotic surgeries for many minor salivary gland malignancies.