Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Treatment

1. Primary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (Primary ACC)

Primary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is classified depending on the location and tissues involved. They can be further divided into:

• Primary Oesophageal ACC: It forms in the glandular cells of the esophagus.
• Primary ACC of salivary glands: It is the third most common cancer of salivary glands.
• Primary Cutaneous ACC: It starts in the sweat glands of the skin cells.
• Primary ACC of Breast: It is a rare primary cancer of the breast that starts from glandular tissues.
• Primary ACC of Lung: It is an uncommon tumor of the central branchial system.

2. Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

When ACC spreads from the original site to other parts of the body, it is called Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. ACC has a high potential for metastasis. The lung is the most common site where ACC metastasizes.

1. Surgery

Oncologists surgically remove the entire tumor and the minimum of 2 millimeters of cancer-free tissues surrounding the cancerous area. The extent of surgery depends on the location, stage, and area of the body involved.

2. Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-intensity radiation to destroy cancerous cells. It is mostly used after the surgical removal of the tumor to eliminate any leftover microscopic cancer cells. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a specific type of radiotherapy which effectively delivers radiation to cancerous cells and spares healthy cells, thereby reducing the side effects.

3. Neutron therapy

ACC is often treated with neutron therapy when the tumor affects difficult-to-operate areas. It is also used in radioresistant tumors or recurrence cases. It is more potent than conventional radiation therapy and causes significant damage to cancer cells. However, it also causes more side effects.

4. Proton beam therapy

Proton beam therapy uses protons at high energy to destroy cancerous cells. It allows greater control over the radiation and spares the healthy tissues around the tumor.

5. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses systemic drugs to destroy cancer cells. The medications are delivered through the bloodstream or orally to treat cancer. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, ACC appears to be less responsive to chemotherapy than other cancer types.

6. Targeted Therapy

Targeted drug therapy explicitly targets specific cell proteins or genes that block the growth and spread of cancer. It causes fewer side effects as it spares healthy cells because of its specific action.