University of Cincinnati Cancer Center — Organizer of Specialized Care Team
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…