Salivary gland tumors: Current concepts in diagnosis, classification and treatment
Salivary gland tumors are a rare and highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms with diverse histopathological features, biological behavior, and clinical outcomes. Most arise in the parotid gland, where benign lesions predominate, whereas tumors of the sublingual and minor salivary glands have a substantially higher probability of malignancy. Clinical presentation ranges from slowly enlarging painless masses to aggressive lesions associated with pain, facial nerve dysfunction, local invasion, and distant metastases. Diagnosis integrates clinical examination, imaging, fine-needle aspiration cytology, selected core needle biopsy, and histopathological evaluation supported by immunohistochemistry and molecular testing. Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment, with postoperative radiotherapy used for adverse pathological features. Advances in molecular pathology have identified recurrent alterations that refine diagnosis and enable biomarker-directed treatment in selected advanced cancers. This review summarizes current concepts in epidemiology, classification, diagnosis, treatment, molecular pathology, and multidisciplinary management of salivary gland tumors.