Influence of environmental and nutritional factors on salivary gland tumorigenesis with a special reference to dietary lipids

Salivary gland cancer is a rare condition whose incidence varies according to different geographical regions. Several environmental factors, such as i onizing radiation and some occupational aspects, as well as habits like sme lting and alcohol consumption, are related to salivary tumorigenesis. Both acinar and ductual cells may be involved in the origin of salivary gland tu mours. Even though laboratory and epidemiological evidence indicates that d iet and nutritional habits may modulate the tumorigenesis at different site s, little is known about this effect on salivary glands, mainly in regard t o dietary lipids. However, the fact that monounsaturated fatty acids behave as protumorigenic and, on the contrary, certain polyunsaturated fatty acid s exert beneficial effects, demonstrated on breast, colon and even oral can cer, gives support to our hypothesis. The suggested relationship between en vironmental and nutritional factors, mainly dietary lipids, and salivary gl and cancer constitutes the aim of the present work.