​Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

Diagnosing Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

Adenoid cystic carcinoma tumors have a distinctive pattern in which abnormal bundles of epithelial cells surround or infiltrate ducts or glandular structures within the affected organ.

To diagnose adenoid cystic carcinoma, your doctor will perform a physical exam, ask you about your symptoms, and order diagnostic tests.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma symptoms

Symptoms vary depending on the site and origin of the tumor.

Pain, numbness, and nerve paralysis may accompany advanced tumors because they can infiltrate and spread along nerves.

Tests for diagnosing adenoid cystic carcinoma

To confirm a diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma, your doctor will order a biopsy. A pathologist will evaluate the tumor cells microscopically.

Imaging tests, such as MRI and CT scans, usually can identify recurrences of tumors.

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Treatments

Surgery

The standard treatment for adenoid cystic carcinoma is surgical removal of the cancerous (malignant) tissue. The surgeon will remove the tumor and an area of tissue surrounding it.

The presence of clean margins, meaning a minimum of 2 mm of tissue is cancer-free surrounding the tumor, signals total tumor removal and gives the best chance that cancer will not recur at that site.

Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA)

Adenoid cystic carcinomas of the sinuses and skull base can be approached directly using the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA). This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive approach allows surgeons to access the tumor through the natural corridor of the nose, without making an open incision. Surgeons then remove the adenoid cystic carcinoma through the nose and nasal cavities.

EEA offers the benefits of no incisions to heal, no disfigurement, and a faster recovery time.

If you need complementary treatments, such as radiation, those therapies can begin soon after EEA surgery.

Radiation therapy

Surgery usually is followed by radiation therapy.

Doctors may recommend neutron radiation therapy to treat adenoid cystic carcinoma. Compared with conventional radiation therapy, neutrons can deliver 20 to 100 times more energy along their path length, causing much greater damage to the cancer cells.

Neutron radiation therapy has been tested on many different types of tumors, with salivary gland tumors showing the greatest benefit. In certain instances, it may be the treatment of choice for adenoid cystic carcinoma, particularly in areas of the body where it is difficult to perform surgery.

Neutron therapy carries more severe side effects than conventional radiation therapy, such as severe sore mouth and/or throat and difficulty swallowing. Therefore, neutron therapy is used more often in cases where the disease is inoperable or recurrent.