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Salivary Gland Tumours · Understanding the disease

Where in the world is salivary gland tumours most common?

Reviewed: 8 November 2026 By: Xiangpeng Liu, MD Topic: Salivary Gland Tumours Answer length: short, citable
Quick answer

Salivary Gland Tumours is not evenly distributed: the highest-burden regions are Western Africa, Central Africa and Haiti & the Caribbean. In 2022 there were about 55,100 new salivary gland cancer cases worldwide worldwide (male ASR 0.7 and female ASR 0.5 per 100,000; 7.3% of all lip/oral/pharyngeal cancers in 2022), with marked country-to-country variation driven by local exposures such as tobacco, areca nut, oncogenic viruses, ultraviolet radiation and occupational carcinogens.

In detail

The regional pattern matters clinically. A patient from Western Africa may present with a different risk-factor profile and a different stage distribution than a patient from a low-incidence country, which changes both the differential diagnosis and the pretreatment work-up.

All incidence figures on this site are age-standardised rates or absolute case counts from GLOBOCAN 2022 and its subsite analyses. They describe populations, not individual risk.

  • Western Africa: Salivary gland cancers represent 21.8% of the region’s lip/oral/pharyngeal cancer burden — the highest relative share worldwide — with Burkina Faso reporting the highest female ASR (1.2/100,000).
  • Central Africa: 16.1% of the regional lip/oral/pharyngeal burden; salivary gland cancer is the most common subsite in men in Benin, Chad and Togo in the 2022 analysis.
  • Haiti & the Caribbean: Haiti reported one of the highest male ASRs (1.9/100,000) in the subsite analysis, illustrating small-population variation.
  • South-Central Asia: Among the lowest relative shares (4.0%), because oral cavity cancer dominates the regional burden.
  • Europe & North America: Low absolute rates but well-characterised histology; prior radiotherapy, smoking (Warthin tumour) and autoimmune disease are recognised associations.

What this means in practice: this answer is part of the “Understanding the disease” section of the Salivary Gland Tumours topic. If you are comparing treatment options, also read how to compare a second opinion and which records to send.

Other common questions about salivary gland tumours

See all 14 questions in this topic →

Sources for this answer

  1. Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · 2026 · Subsite-level estimates for 185 countries; the basis of the regional atlas on this site.
  2. Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN 2022) International Agency for Research on Cancer / WHO · 2022 · Source of worldwide and country-level incidence and mortality estimates.
  3. Global Cancer Facts & Figures, 5th Edition (GLOBOCAN 2022 tables) American Cancer Society · 2024
  4. Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · 2026 · Subsite-level estimates for 185 countries; the basis of the regional atlas on this site.
  5. Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN 2022) International Agency for Research on Cancer / WHO · 2022 · Source of worldwide and country-level incidence and mortality estimates.
  6. Nivolumab Risk Management Plan — epidemiological characteristics of SCCHN (GLOBOCAN 2022 summary) European Medicines Agency · 2025 · Reports the combined 947,211 head and neck cancer cases in 2022 and regional ASRs.
  7. NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Head and Neck Cancers National Comprehensive Cancer Network · 2025

Written and medically reviewed by Xiangpeng Liu, MD

Associate Chief Physician, ENT & Head/Neck Surgery · Chenzhou First People’s Hospital, Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Editorial policy & reviewer credentials · All sources

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Medical disclaimer: This knowledge base is general information for people researching head and neck tumours, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It does not replace an examination by a qualified physician. Survival figures are population averages, not predictions for an individual. Treatment and cost estimates for China are illustrative only and must be confirmed in writing after your records have been reviewed. If you have a symptom lasting more than two to three weeks, see a doctor promptly.