Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center Records First Domestic Annual Salivary Gland Cancer Patients Reaching 100

15-17% of Domestic Salivary Gland Cancer Patients Diagnosed and Treated
Treatment Outcomes Comparable to the US and Europe
Integrated Care System, Research and Technology Development Achievements

Samsung Seoul Hospital. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center announced on the 4th that it is the first in Korea to have more than 100 registered patients with salivary gland cancer annually.

Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center's 'Salivary Gland Tumor Specialized Clinic' surpassed 50 registered salivary gland cancer patients in 2016 and has steadily increased, reaching 100 registered patients in last year's statistics.

Last year, 100 patients were diagnosed and treated at Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center. Among them, 90 had salivary gland cancer originating from major salivary glands (parotid gland 58, submandibular gland 23, sublingual gland 9), and 10 had minor salivary gland cancer (oral cavity). According to the 2018 National Cancer Statistics, the annual number of salivary gland cancer patients in Korea is 582. Although the latest national cancer statistics have not yet been released, estimating around 600 patients means that 15-17% of all patients were diagnosed and treated at Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center.

Salivary gland cancer is a rare disease with a low incidence (1 per 100,000 population, accounting for 3-6% of head and neck cancers) and highly diverse histopathological features, making it difficult to accumulate sufficient clinical experience. Since 2011, Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center has strengthened its diagnostic and treatment capabilities for salivary gland cancer and is the first in Korea to implement 'specialized care for salivary gland tumors.'

Number of registered patients with salivary gland cancer at Samsung Medical Center from 1998 to 2021. [Data=Samsung Medical Center]

In particular, the center has established an organic and integrated care system involving multiple related departments, including ▲in-depth pathological review for accurate diagnosis of salivary gland cancer ▲rapid and precise imaging and nuclear medicine tests to assess lesion progression and treatment scope ▲meticulous surgical treatment that minimizes complications while eradicating the disease ▲state-of-the-art intensity-modulated and proton radiation therapy ▲various chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments for systemic metastasis. Based on this, the treatment outcomes at Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center show a 5-year relative survival rate of over 95% for low-grade salivary gland cancer, over 75.2% for high-grade salivary gland cancer without metastasis, and 44.6% for metastatic high-grade salivary gland carcinoma, achieving results comparable to those in the US and Europe.

Research and technology development within the center are also considered strengths. Various studies on salivary gland carcinoma have been conducted, and research on the quality of life of patients with salivary gland carcinoma and the development of anticancer immunotherapy technologies are underway. Additionally, last year, together with the National Cancer Center Head and Neck Tumor Clinic, they developed and publicly released a 'self-examination method to aid early detection of submandibular gland cancer.'

Jung Han-shin, director of the Head and Neck Cancer Center (professor of otolaryngology), said, “This year, for the first time, the annual number of registered salivary gland cancer patients exceeded 100, establishing Samsung Seoul Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Center as the unrivaled leader in salivary gland cancer diagnosis and treatment in Korea. We will further focus on treating severe and complex salivary gland carcinoma patients, expand multidisciplinary care and specialized clinics, and devote ourselves to clinical research on new diagnostic and treatment methods to serve as a 'beacon of hope' for patients with salivary gland carcinoma.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.