Salivary Gland Cancer

Today I remembering back to what I now believe was one of my early experiences with thyroid disease.

When I was 30, I noticed a little sore on the inside of my left cheek. It didn’t hurt, but after a couple weeks, it had not gone away. I could feel it with my tongue, but it didn’t bother me. One day I asked by husband to look at it. When I pulled my cheek back with my finger he looked in my mouth and said, “What is that?!” It was a pink growth, about the diameter of a pencil eraser and about ½” long.

Next step was a visit to the dentist. He didn’t know what it was, but I asked, “Could it be cancer?” He said no – but sent me to an oral surgeon. When I met with the oral surgeon, he didn’t know what it was, but I asked, “Could it be cancer?” He said no – but put me on antibiotics for two weeks.

When I returned to the oral surgeon after finishing the course of antibiotics, the growth had not changed. The doctor decided to cut it out and send it for a biopsy. Can you guess what happened next? When I returned for a follow up visit, the doctor was in a state of shock – it was cancer. All along, I had listened to my body – I knew it was cancerous - despite there being absolutely no obvious reason that I should have been susceptible to cancer of the salivary gland. It was extremely rare for a young, female, non-smoker to have such a cancer. I was frightened, but I also knew that it was caught early.

The oral surgeon referred me to the top Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon in my area. He performed a surgery that involved removing more tissue from the inside of my mouth to ensure that all the margins tested cancer free. Everything healed fine, but I still felt uneasy. On my monthly follow-up visits to the ENT, I kept telling him that I still “felt” like there was something there.

After the third visit, he sent me for a MRI to prove to me that there was no more cancer. Can you guess what happened next? There was still a tumor imbedded deeper in my parotid salivary gland. Again, the surgeon was surprised – I wasn’t.

He performed a much more extensive second surgery that involved removing the entire parotid gland. It was a very delicate six-hour surgery. Since the nerves that control the facial muscles run through the gland, he had to be extra careful to preserve my muscle control. The first thing I remember when I woke from the surgery was asking my wonderful husband if my smile was crooked. Thankfully, it was fine!

No further treatment was necessary and I have been fine for many years now. I do have one annoying symptom as a result of having the salivary gland removed. It is called Frye’s Syndrome. Since the salivary gland has been removed, but the nerves remain intact, whenever I eat, my brain triggers the nerves to produce saliva. Since the gland is gone, I end up with a sweaty cheek every time I eat.

I was very fortunate that I listened to my body and insisted that my doctors listened to me. Unfortunately, despite asking my doctors “Why?” and never receiving a satisfactory answer, I did not take it upon myself to investigate further. I chalked the cancer up to radiation exposure to dental x-rays, never thinking that there could have been a connection to another part of my body. Shortly after my surgery, my hair started thinning. I suspected it was a result of the anesthesia, but it never filled back in – a symptom of hypothyroidism.

As I mentioned, I now believe this situation was related to an imbalanced thyroid gland and iodine deficiency. The thyroid gland impacts the function of all other glands in the body. All of the glands that produce moisture in the body are dependent on adequate supplies of iodine to function properly. The thyroid gland is the first stop for iodine. Once the thyroid has taken the necessary amount of iodine, the excess iodine is used to support other organs and glands in the body. Further, iodine helps prevent cancer by encouraging our cells to go through a process known as apoptosis. Apoptosis is the process whereby cells die as part of their normal life cycle and are replaced with healthy new cells. When the cells do not die as intended, the body is susceptible to cancer, where undesirable cells reproduce unchecked.

In retrospect, my experience with salivary gland cancer was a learning experience. It taught me the importance of listening to my body, knowing when something doesn’t feel right, and insisting that doctors listen to me. It also encouraged me to live life to the fullest and live a healthy life style. It was the first step on my journey to learning more about the interconnectedness of illnesses in the body and to the body’s amazing ability to heal when provided with the correct environment and nutrients.