Home

HealthTopics

Health Centers

Reference Library

Search   Advanced

Head and Neck Cancer

Risk Factors for Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer is largely a cancer of behavior.  The most important risk factors for head and neck cancers are:

• Tobacco (including smokeless tobacco, sometimes called "chewing tobacco" or "snuff")
• Alcohol use (related to cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx)

85% of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use. People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk for developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone.

Other risk factors for cancers of the head and neck include the following:

• Sun exposure (for skin and lip cancer)
• HPV infection
• Radiation to the head and neck
• Industrial exposures, such as wood or nickel dust inhalation
• Asian, particularly Chinese, ancestry (for nasopharyngeal cancer)
• Epstein-Barr virus infection
• Consumption of certain preservatives or salted foods
• Poor oral hygiene
• Use of mouthwash that has a high alcohol content is a possible, but not proven, risk factor
• Plummer-Vinson (also called Paterson-Kelly) syndrome, a rare disorder that results from iron and other nutritional deficiencies. This syndrome is characterized by severe anemia and leads to difficulty swallowing due to webs of tissue that grow across the upper part of the esophagus.
• Immigrants from Southeast Asia who use paan (betel quid) in the mouth should be aware that this habit has been strongly associated with an increased risk for oral cancer.
• Consumption of mate, a tea-like beverage habitually consumed by South Americans, has been associated with an increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx.

People who are at risk for head and neck cancers should talk with their doctor about ways they can reduce their risk. They should also discuss how often to have checkups.

Source: National Cancer Institute - Head and Neck Cancer: Questions and Answers

More articles about Head and Neck Cancer

• Symptoms of Head and Neck Cancer
• Diagnosing Head and Neck Cancer: Tests and Staging
• Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer
• Swallowing Problems
• Back to Head and Neck Cancer Overview

For more information:

Go to the Head and Neck Cancer health topic, where you can:

• Read articles on this topic
• Browse the previously asked questions
• Ask your own question.

Last Reviewed: Jun 18, 2009

Pierre Lavertu, MD, FRCS(C), FACS Director and Professor Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology Ireland Cancer Center University Hospitals School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University

Home

About

Help

Feedback

Site Map

Newsletter

Search   Advanced

This page is: Yes No Not Sure easy to read easy to understand helpful

Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) Copyright ® 2009 University of Cincinnati