Causes of head and neck cancer

Tobacco use includes smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes; chewing tobacco; and using snuff. It is the single largest risk factor for head and neck cancer. The amount of tobacco use may affect the chance of recovery.

If a person smokes or has smoked in the past they have a higher risk of getting Head and Neck cancer than someone who has never smoked.​ Prolonged exposure to second hand smoke may also increase a person’s risk of developing head and neck cancer.

Frequent and heavy alcohol consumption raises the risk of developing cancer in the mouth, throat, voice box, and oesophagus.

Research shows that infection with HPV is a significant risk factor for head and neck cancer. Sexual activity with a person who has HPV is the most common way someone gets HPV. There are different types of HPV, called strains. Generally, HPV related tumours react well to Radiotherapy/Chemotherapy with high recovery rates in patients.

There is an NHS vaccination programme available for free to all children aged 12 to 13 years (school year 8), to reduce future occurrences of cancers associated with HPV.

If you missed getting vaccinated when you were 12 or 13, the HPV vaccine is available for free on the NHS for:

• all girls under 25
• boys born after 1 September 2006

Contact your school nurse, school vaccination team or GP surgery if you or your child were eligible for the HPV vaccine but did not get vaccinated.

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are at higher risk from HPV. If you’re a man under 45 who has sex with men and you attend a sexual health or HIV clinic, you can get vaccinated against HPV. You’re eligible for the vaccine up until your 45th birthday.

The HPV vaccine is also sometimes recommended for other people at higher risk from HPV, such as:

• any transgender people who are felt to have the same risk as men who have sex with men
• sex workers
• people with HIV

The Ebstein Barr virus, a common virus that causes glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis), can cause cancer in the upper throat (Nasopharynx). The Nasopharynx is part of the throat that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth. It’s one of the rarest types of head and neck cancer in the UK, about 260 cases per year.

Men are 2 to 3 times more likely than women to develop head and neck cancer. However, the rate of head and neck cancer in women has been rising for several decades. Women are more likely to get Thyroid cancer than men.

People over the age of 40 are at higher risk for head and neck cancer. However, recent insight from CRUK suggests that Thyroid cancer is occurring more in 15 to 40 year olds and life-style issues may be causing the increase in incidents being seen.

This is especially linked to cancer in the lip area, as well as skin cancer of the head and neck. Prolonged use of Ultra Violet sun beds or sun bathing without adequate UV protection increases the risk of lip cancer.

Inhaling asbestos, wood dust, paint fumes, and certain chemicals may increase a person’s risk of head and neck cancer, particularly Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer. Breathing in certain chemicals or dust that may cause cancer including wood dust (hard and soft wood), leather dust (e.g. shoe making), chromium, nickel, heavy metal exposure, formaldehyde, cloth fibres (e.g. textile manufacturing) and mineral oils (used in metal work and printing).

Poor oral hygiene has been associated with various health risks, including Gum disease (such as gingivitis and periodontitis). Inflammatory molecules from gum disease can enter the bloodstream and contribute to chronic inflammation associated with various health conditions.

Research suggests that people who have used marijuana may be at higher risk for head and neck cancer. Recent research has shown that daily marijuana use can accelerate tumor growth in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

A diet low in vitamins A and B can raise a person’s risk of head and neck cancer. Eating a lot of salt, cured fish and meat has been shown to increase the risk of throat cancer.

8% of Thyroid cancer cases in the UK are caused by being overweight or obese. The risk is 23% higher per 5-unit BMI increase. CRUK estimates that being overweight is now responsible for at least 1 in 20 cancers, and plays a significant role in a number of different types, including cancers of the bowel, breast, ovary and pancreas. The strength of the link varies but, in general, the heavier you are, the greater the risk, with an obese woman being at least twice as likely to develop womb cancer than a slim peer, and 30 per cent more likely to get bowel cancer.

The mechanism behind the link with weight is complex but excess fatty tissue can encourage metabolic and hormonal changes that promote cancerous change and growth, and impair the ability of the immune system to spot and destroy cancer cells before they become established. Not all fat is equal in this regard. While peripheral fat stores, such as those under the skin and around the buttocks and hips, can affect hormone levels, the most dangerous type is “visceral” fat stored around your midriff (and organs). It is apple-shaped men and women, rather than pears, who are most likely to develop obesity-related cancers.

Reflux of stomach acid into the upper airway and throat may be associated with the development of head and neck cancer.

A weakened immune system can raise a person’s risk of head and neck cancer. Your immunity may be low if you are taking medication to suppress your immune system after an organ transplant or have a condition such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), or AIDS

Exposure to radiation is associated with salivary gland cancer. 1% of Throid cancer cases in the UK are caused by ionising radiation. This includes increased risk due to previous radiotherapy, particularly during childhood, and diagnostic radiology, notably dental X-rays and CT scans to the brain, facial bones or spine/ neck in childhood.

People who have had 1 head and neck cancer have a higher chance of developing another head and neck cancer in the future.