Head and Neck Cancer

Smoking Increases Head and Neck Cancer Risk Smoking is often associated with lung cancer, but a new study reveals smoking is associated with head and neck cancers as well. Smoking plays a greater role in the development of head and neck cancer in women than men. Cancers of the head and neck include cancers of the larynx, nasal passages/nose, oral cavity and pharynx. Worldwide, more than 500,000 people are diagnosed with these cancers every year. These cancers are three-times more common in men than women, and men are twice as likely to die from head and neck cancer then women.Researchers from the National Cancer Institute analyzed data from more than 476,000 men and women. They wanted to assess the gender differences in the risk for cancer in the head and neck sites. They report the research confirmed these cancers are more common in men than women. However, they found only 45 percent of these cancers could be attributed to smoking in men, while 75 percent of these cancers could be attributed to smoking in women. Study authors conclude, to reduce the incidence of head and neck cancers, public health efforts should be aimed at eliminating smoking in both women and men. This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week.