A woman's Chronic Earache and Jaw Pain Turned Out to Be Aggressive Cancer That Eats Away at the Face

A 51-year-old British woman was diagnosed with an aggressive lymphoma months after she endured chronic earache and jaw pain, thinking it was a normal infection, which would go away in some time. However, when Michelle Willard felt a marble-sized lump behind her right ear, she knew it was something more. “I’d had a bit of pain on one side of my face, some inner ear discomfort, and jaw pain,” she said in an interview with The Sun. “The next day, the lump seemed to move forward as if it was growing. My doctor mentioned the word ‘lymphoma’ right away, which I thought was a total overreaction,” she added. While she was prescribed antibiotics, doctors did suggest a scan if the symptoms persist. And since her pain and discomfort only increased, Michelle found

it even difficult to eat, as the pain was too much to bear. She even found some around her jaw numb.

Michelle was diagnosed with a rare face-eating cancer

Later, a CAT scan revealed a mass in her salivary gland, and a biopsy confirmed she had a cancerous tumour. A few days later, she was operated on to remove the tumour, which caused her stage 1 lymphoma, which doctors said was aggressive and was likely to spread. However, later detailed investigations found Michelle had an extremely rare salivary gland cancer known as secretory carcinoma, which is known to eat people's faces away.

What is salivary gland cancer?

Salivary gland cancer is a rare malignancy in the salivary glands, which produce saliva, and typically appears as a lump or swelling on the jaw, neck, or mouth. Symptoms can also include facial weakness or numbness, difficulty swallowing, and persistent pain. Being a rare cancer, doctors say only 1 per cent of tumours affecting your head and neck are salivary cancer. The most common types of salivary gland cancer include mucoepidermoid carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma, which make up half of all malignant salivary gland tumours.

Who is likely to have salivary gland cancer?

Anyone can develop salivary gland cancer, according to experts; men are more likely to have malignant salivary gland cancer. You are also more likely to develop cancer in a salivary gland if you:

• Are 55 or older
• Smoke or use alcohol frequently
• Have you received radiation therapy to your head or neck?
• Work in certain occupations, including plumbing, rubber products manufacturing, asbestos mining, and leatherwork

According to studies, some rare types of salivary gland cancer even occur more commonly in people with certain viral infections, like Epstein-Barr virus and human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Signs and symptoms of salivary gland cancer

A small number of people with salivary gland cancer don’t have symptoms. In most cases, salivary gland cancer causes a painless lump in a salivary gland.

• If you have a malignant salivary gland tumour, you are more likely to experience other symptoms, including:
• Weakness or numbness in your face, neck, jaw, or mouth.
• Persistent pain in your face or neck
• Difficulty opening your mouth fully or moving your facial muscles.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Bleeding from your mouth.