A photograph of a patient with cancer of the parotid gland. Parotid is a Greek word that means near the ear. Parotid glands are the largest of the salivary glands. Malignant tumours of the parotid gland are rare. The incidence of salivary gland tumours is 1-2 cases per 100, 000 people. Only 20% of parotid neoplasms are malignant. The most common malignant parotid neoplasm in adults is mucoepidermoid carcinoma, which represents almost one third of all malignant tumours. Overall parotid tumors are slightly more common in women than in men.
