Adenoid cystic carcinoma is rare, but its course can extend beyond the first round of treatment. The National Cancer Institute says these cancers can recur and develop distant metastases late. That general pattern does not establish that Jenny Hammond’s cancer has returned; her care team said it removed the cancer found in her mouth and lymph nodes.
The NCI reports that salivary gland cancer overall had an age-adjusted U.S. incidence of 1.3 cases per 100,000 people per year from 2018 to 2022. That figure covers salivary gland cancers broadly, not adenoid cystic carcinoma specifically. UC Health describes Hammond’s cancer as affecting about one in 250,000 people.
The diagnosis changed in the operating room
Hammond, of Fort Thomas, was diagnosed in September 2025. Before surgery, doctors believed she had stage-two adenoid cystic carcinoma, according to WLWT. During a 14-hour operation in October, her team discovered the cancer had spread to lymph nodes and was stage four.
The operation involved multiple surgeons. They removed the tumor from Hammond’s mouth and reconstructed her hard and soft palate with tissue from her arm; parts of her mouth and throat were also removed, the reports say. UC Health says the team removed the cancer found in her mouth and lymph nodes.
Treatment and recovery have different demands
After surgery, Hammond received proton therapy. UC Health says her plan included 30 treatments. The surgery and radiation affected her ability to eat, swallow and speak, and she worked with rehabilitation specialists and received a custom oral prosthetic to help make her speech clearer, according to the health system.
Hammond also takes an anti-cancer medication twice daily, UC Health reports. Her account underscores that treatment’s effects can continue into daily life even after surgery and radiation are finished. The NCI’s description of late recurrence in adenoid cystic carcinoma is general context, not a prediction about Hammond’s outcome or a specific follow-up plan for her.
Hammond has said she hopes to use her experience to encourage others facing a similar diagnosis, WLWT reports. Her case involved a rare cancer and a stage change discovered during surgery; the national statistics and recurrence patterns offer context, but do not explain what will happen in any one patient’s case.
