Most salivary gland tumors are benign and by far the most common site is the parotid gland. 80% of parotid tumors are benign. Pleomorphic adenomas are typically seen in middle aged women and present as a painless slowly growing mass. Transformation to a malignant tumor is seen in only 2-5% of cases and is usually associated with tumors that have been present for 10-15 years. Unlike the pleomorphic adenomas, they are more common in men and also present in the 40-70-year-old age group. They are

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... re common in whites than blacks. The most common malignant tumor of the parotid gland is the mucoepidermoid carcinoma, which can be classified as low grade or high grade. Other malignant lesions include adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant degeneration of a pleomorphic adenoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma.