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Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma (LEC)

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Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma (LEC)

Lymphoepithelial carcinoma (LEC) is a rare, aggressive type of cancer. While it most commonly affects the parotid gland near the ear (~80% of cases), it can also occur in other salivary glands and, very rarely, in areas outside the throat such as the lungs, stomach, thymus, larynx, trachea, or skin [1, 2] .

This cancer is extremely rare in Western countries, where it makes up only about 0.4% of all malignant salivary gland tumours [1]. However, it is much more common among Inuit-Yupik and Chinese populations in Arctic and Asian regions, where it is strongly linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It affects women slightly more often than men, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.5 to 1 [1, 3, 4].

The most common sign is a firm, painless lump near the jawline or just below the ear. Some people may also experience pain or swollen lymph nodes in the neck [5]. Even though it is classified as an aggressive (high-grade) cancer, LEC generally has a much better outlook and higher overall survival rate than other aggressive salivary gland cancers [6].

The standard treatment involves a combination of therapies. Surgeons first remove the tumour completely (such as through a parotidectomy), which then may be followed by radiotherapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells, as this specific cancer responds very well to radiation [7, 8].

Useful resources

You can watch Glenda's story of being diagnosed with LEC here.  

Read more about how to get your tumour profiled and add to the research biobank at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, UK here:

References

  1. Schneider M, Rizzardi C. Lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid glands and its relationship with benign lymphoepithelial lesions. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2008; 132(2):278-82.
  2. Pavuluri S, Caceres A, Kwon E, Chacko D, Jan I, Kim S. Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma of the Sublingual Gland: A Case Report. Cureus. 2024; 16(2):e54305.
  3. Ishak AI, Kong LS, Yunus MRM, Bakar MZA. Primary Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma of the Submandibular Gland in A Young Patient: A Case Report. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023; 75(3):2577-80.
  4. Whaley RD, Carlos R, Bishop JA, Rooper L, Thompson LDR. Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma of Salivary Gland EBV-association in Endemic versus Non-Endemic Patients: A Report of 16 Cases. Head Neck Pathol. 2020; 14(4):1001-12.
  5. Whelan A, Al-Sayed AA, Bullock M, Taylor SM. Primary parotid lymphoepithelial carcinoma: A case report and literature review of a rare pathological entity. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2020; 72:610-4.
  6. Chou CT, Ou CY, Lee WT, Hsu HJ. Clinical features in salivary gland lymphoepithelial carcinoma in 10 patients: Case series and literature review. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2022; 7(3):779-84.
  7. Kaidar-Person O, Kuten A, Billan S. Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma of the Salivary Gland: Is Radiotherapy Alone Adequate? Case Reports in Otolaryngology. 2011; 2011(1):618650.
  8. Niu X, Liu P, Wang X, Hu C. Is radical radiotherapy with/without surgery an effective treatment in the lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the salivary gland. BMC Cancer. 2023; 23(1):968.


Last updated Sept 2026