The other risk factors include consumption of alcohol and infection with Human Papilloma Virus.
The other risk factors include consumption of alcohol and infection with Human Papilloma Virus.
April 8-15 is celebrated as Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.
Since tobacco is the most common risk factor for this category of cancer, large-scale awareness is necessary.
Head and neck cancers can arise in the mouth, cheek, lips, gingivum, nose, sinuses, voice box , thyroid, or salivary glands.
Overall, 58% of all head and neck cancers in the world are diagnosed in Asia.
In India, they account for 30% of all cancers. A total of 2 lakh new cases are diagnosed every year, of which 80,000 are cancers of the mouth.
Broadly, head and neck cancer is the most common form of cancer in Indian men.
Tobacco (smoked or smokeless) is the most important risk factor. It contains 29 types of cancer-causing chemicals.
Smoked tobacco includes beedi, cigarettes, hookah, chillum, etc. Reverse chutta smoking includes smoking with the burnt end inside the mouth, and is prevalent in some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Smokeless tobacco includes betel quid (paan), zarda, gutkha , khaini, mawa , gudakhu, etc. Cancer usually occurs in the mouth in those places where betel quid is kept for a long period of time.
The other risk factors for cancer of head and neck include consumption of alcohol, advancing age, and infection with Human Papilloma Virus. The latter leads to cancer of the oropharynx (base of the tongue or tonsils), mainly in young people who are non-smokers and non-alcoholics.
Patients may present with mouth pain or non-healing mouth ulcers, loosening of teeth, difficulty in swallowing solid and liquid food, weight loss, and bleeding.
If a patient exhibits swelling in the neck, it usually suggests advanced-stage cancer.
Patients with laryngeal cancer present with hoarseness of voice.
Nasopharyngeal cancer and cancer of sinuses present with bleeding from the nose.
Oral cancer occurs in sites that are generally accessible by physical examination.
Thus, cancer of the head and neck has great potential for prevention through routine mouth examinations in high-risk individuals. This is known as screening.
In Kerala, screening was done by healthcare workers. In persons with a high risk of head and neck cancer (smokers and alcoholics), it was possible to detect the disease at an earlier stage and thus reduce the incidences of death.
Since tobacco is the most important risk factor, the first step is to avoid the consumption of tobacco in any form. Further, people should be educated about the harms of using tobacco.
Visual inspection of the mouth should be carried out in high-risk individuals to detect pre-cancerous lesions.
This article has been written by Dr. Sourav Kumar Mishra, MD (BHU), DM (Cancer Institute, Chennai), ECMO Associate Professor, Department of Medical Oncology, IMS & SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
It encompasses cancers of the oral cavity, tongue, tonsils, oropharynx, and larynx.
The introduction of the newer modalities of systemic treatment has made impact in better survival outcomes.
Symptoms of head & neck cancer include blood in phlegm, lump in the neck, skin changes, change in voice, difficulty in swallowing and a sore that does not heal.
The use of radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy has been demonstrated to yield more positive results over just use of radiotherapy alone.
People consuming tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk of developing this cancer
Multi-disciplinary approach with new surgical and radiation techniques, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy can help in reducing morbidity rates.
It can be prevented by making changes in lifestyle
Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. There are approximately 650,000 cases and 200,000 deaths from this disease every year.
Keep an eye out for the symptoms and visit a physician as early as possible.
One of the major causes of the disease is tobacco use.
Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are the treatment options.
Head and neck cancer collectively refers to cancers of the oral cavity, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, and paranasal sinuses.
Of the 10 lakh cases of cancer detected in the country every year, around 2 lakh are cancers of the head and neck, says oncologist.
The country has one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the world due to tobacco use, and the rates are still increasing.
Infection with HPV, overexposure to UV rays, and advancing age are the other risk factors.
According to oncologist, a lump in the neck can be the first sign.
Usage of tobacco and alcohol is associated with a high risk of developing head and neck cancer.
Alcohol and tobacco addiction are the most common causes.
Tobacco and alcohol are the main causes. People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at a greater risk than those who use only one or the other.
According to expert, the above is a symptom of head and neck cancer.
Oncologist remembers the case of a 30-something man who was diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
Persistent mouth ulcers and a lump in the throat are the major symptoms.
The combined consumption of alcohol and tobacco reportedly increases the risk of head and mouth cancer by 15 times.
These cancers affect more men than women. For men alone, there were 92,000 new cases of throat and tongue cancer last year.
These cancers are caused due to tobacco use. Excessive consumption of alcohol, advancing age, and Human Papilloma Virus infection are the other contributory factors.
The other risk factors include consumption of alcohol and infection with Human Papilloma Virus.
Cancers developing in or around the mouth, pharynx, larynx, nose, or sinuses are broadly referred to as head and neck cancer.
