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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How To Cure Enlarged Submandibular Salivary Gland?

Hello Doctor. I have an enlarged submandibular salivary gland with no tenderness, discomfort, fever or any other symptoms. Using ultrasound a doctor measured the swollen area at about 9x7x4mm and found it was quite hard. It seems infection and blockage have been ruled out. The doctor wanted to do a fine needle biopsy. I don t want that because of the risk of causing any cancer cells to spread. He says OK I respect that but then you have only two options. (1) Wait and see - measure again by ultrasound in 8 weeks and if it has grown bigger, take it out. (Pros: no unnecessary loss of gland; Cons: risk of complications/spreading if it is cancerous.) (2) Take it out right away. (Pros: certainty, and no further risk; Cons: possible unnecessary loss of gland.) I asked if there isn t some other type of test/imaging - eg PET scan - that could aid in trying to diagnose. He said no there isn t. This is unsuited to PET as the whole area shows hot. Please may I have your view. (Male aged 54, 5ft5in. 125lbs. Health issues: don t digest food very well; likely food intolerances; don t sleep well; wake feeling rough. Don t drink or smoke. Not stressed, but find it hard to fully relax.)
Wed, 29 Apr 2020
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General Surgeon 's  Response
Hi,

Noted your history of submandibular gland enlargement confirmed by Ultrasonography, FNAC deferred for fear of spread of possible cancer.
The Size of the gland is large enough to warrant removal as such large gland can be cancerous and as you have mentioned the fear of spread by FNAC is not there.
So we have 2 options:
Removal of one gland that is diseased does not matter much for wetting of the mouth or mastication as the other 3 glands are active.
Secondly keeping a possible cancer waiting for long is not a good idea as it will keep growing.
The best opinion for you is to consult an Oncosurgeon as he is most experienced and thus give you the best possible solution considering the age, the reports and so on.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. T. Chandrakant, ENT and General Surgeon
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How To Cure Enlarged Submandibular Salivary Gland?

Hi, Noted your history of submandibular gland enlargement confirmed by Ultrasonography, FNAC deferred for fear of spread of possible cancer. The Size of the gland is large enough to warrant removal as such large gland can be cancerous and as you have mentioned the fear of spread by FNAC is not there. So we have 2 options: Removal of one gland that is diseased does not matter much for wetting of the mouth or mastication as the other 3 glands are active. Secondly keeping a possible cancer waiting for long is not a good idea as it will keep growing. The best opinion for you is to consult an Oncosurgeon as he is most experienced and thus give you the best possible solution considering the age, the reports and so on. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. T. Chandrakant, ENT and General Surgeon