ScienceToday

According to study author and radiation oncologist Wouter Vogel, “People have three sets of large salivary glands, but not there.” “As far as we knew, the only salivary or mucous glands in the nasopharynx are microscopically small, and up to 1000 are evenly spread out throughout the mucosa. So, imagine our surprise when we found these,” he added.

To confirm the findings, the group of researchers partnered with their colleagues at Amsterdam UMC who worked on cadavers. They confirmed the existence of a new organ, called the “tubarial gland.” The glands got their name based on their location in the human body.

The researchers believe the glands could trigger complications for patients undergoing radiation, including dysphagia or trouble swallowing. However, these findings could be very helpful for oncologists to prevent potential complications by simply avoiding that area.

According to Vogel, the salivary glands can be easily damaged by radiation therapy, which might lead to potential complications. He continued saying that patients might experience trouble eating, speaking, or swallowing, things that can feel like a real burden.

The researchers analyzed 723 patients who had undergone radiation therapy and found that those who had more radiations in the area near the tubarial glands experienced a lot more complications.

According to Vogel, “For most patients, it should technically be possible to avoid delivering radiation to this newly discovered location of the salivary gland system in the same way we try to spare known glands.”

“Our next step is to find out how we can best spare these new glands and in which patients,” Vogel added. By doing this, patients will experience fewer complications, therefore, the treatment will be more efficient.