Symptoms of Salivary Gland Cancer
People with salivary gland cancer may experience the following symptoms or signs. Sometimes, people with salivary gland cancer do not have any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom may be another medical condition that is not cancer.

A lump on the face, neck, or mouth that is usually painless

Numbness in the face

Inability to move some facial muscles, especially if the muscle on 1 side of the face stops moving and the affected area slowly expands. This is known as progressive facial muscle paralysis.

Pain or swelling in the face, chin, jawbone area, or neck

A difference between the size and/or shape of the left and right sides of the face or neck

If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor and/or dentist right away, especially if they don’t go away or get worse. Your doctor will ask how long and how often you’ve been experiencing the symptom(s), in addition to other questions. This is to help find out the cause of the problem, called a diagnosis. When detected early, head and neck cancers have a much better chance of being cured.

If cancer is diagnosed, relieving symptoms remains an important part of cancer care and treatment. This may also be called symptom management, palliative care, or supportive care. Be sure to talk with your health care team about symptoms you experience, including any new symptoms or a change in symptoms.