Increased risk of salivary gland cancer among women with a previous cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate salivary gland cancer incidence among patients with a previous cancer diagnosis and explore the potential relationship of salivary gland cancer among women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer. METHODS We obtained information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2011. Incidence, annual percent change (APC), and survival were examined. RESULTS Women were more likely than men to experience subsequent salivary gland cancer, female observed to expected (O/E) = 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-1.78) versus male O/E = 1.34 (95% CI, 1.25-1.44). Index breast cancer does not confer greater risk of salivary gland cancer. Women demonstrate improved overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) compared with men for subsequent salivary gland cancer. CONCLUSION Among patients with a previous cancer diagnosis, the risk of subsequent salivary gland cancer is greater among women than men. More research is needed to determine the relationship between index breast cancer and subsequent salivary gland cancer risk. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E446-E451, 2016.