Head and neck cancers (HNC) are cancers that arise from the head and neck region. They make up about 4% of all cancers and over 90% of them are squamous cell carcinomas. They typically occur in the older population, usually above 50 years, however, their occurrence in the young is increasing due to human papillomavirus.
Scan of Head and Neck Cancer
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The cause of head and neck cancers is unknown however, some lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet have been proven to be contributory factors to its occurrence.
Concerning cancers in general, scientists estimate that tobacco smoking leads to a mortality rate of 25 to 30%, an unhealthy diet leads to a 30 to 35% mortality rate and alcohol leads to as high as 28%.
Lifestyle factors could lead to head and neck cancers
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Scientists have decided to find out the specific connection between HNCs and lifestyle factors. Daniel Lander and his colleagues set out to determine how factors like drinking, smoking, and unhealthy diets led to HNCs.
They recruited participants from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Screening Trial, 139,926 in total. They were recruited from 10 U.S. centers all over the country from 1993 to 2001. The participants’ ages ranged from 55 to 74 years. They eventually matched the participants who developed HNC with a control group that matched their socio-demographic details.
On result analysis, they discovered that the risk of developing a cancerous lesion in the head and neck increased as the site approached the lungs. This means that individuals with these unhealthy lifestyle practices have an increased risk of developing laryngeal cancer followed by oropharyngeal cancer and cancer of the oral cavity.
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From the study, people who smoked had an elevated risk of developing laryngeal cancer. 246 participants who smoked developed HNC. The risk of HNC increased with drinking and decreased with the inclusion of healthy foods like whole grains and fruits in the diet.
Clinical significance
With this solid evidence of risk factors for HNC, health workers, agencies and organizations can develop a nationwide health campaign on the need to stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, and incorporate healthy foods into their diet. This study shows that lifestyle modifications can significantly reduce the occurrence of cancer.
Conclusion
The study showed that head and neck cancers can be prevented by avoiding smoking, cessation of alcohol intake, and eating healthy food. More studies are needed to discover more risk factors that can lead to HNCs and cancers in general.
References
Lander, P. D., Kallogheri, D., & Piccirillo, J. F. (2024) Smoking, Drinking, and Dietary Risk Factors for Head and Neck Cancer in Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial Participants. JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2023.4551
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