Nonepidermoid cancer of the gum

Twenty-six cases of nonepidermoid cancer of the alveolar ridge or gum were found in a 20-year survey at the Memorial Hospital in New York. Most of these cases were varieties of cancers of the minor salivary glands that presented most commonly as nonulcerated masses frequently invading underlying bone. These cancers demonstrated local recurrence on many occasions and carried an overall poor prognosis. The clinical behavior of the various pathologic types of minor salivary gland cancers resembles those found in the major salivary glands. More aggressive local surgical treatment should be undertaken to provide local control and better cure rates.