Humans have three major salivary glands and approximately 1,000 minor ones. “This scan is extremely sensitive for the salivary glands,” Vogel says. “So we can see more than ever before.”
What he saw was an unexpectedly high level of labeling in the upper section of the throat known as the nasopharynx, where only minor salivary glands are supposed to be found.
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Because salivary glands are at risk of damage from radiotherapy, the team also set out to investigate whether radiotherapy exposure to the tubarial glands would affect patients. After examining data from a cohort of more than 700 head and neck cancer patients, they reported that the radiotherapy dose to the gland area was associated with dry mouth and swallowing difficulties after treatment.
From the article:
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