Throat cancer is a disease whose main causes are smoking and drinking alcohol, so it is diagnosed relatively often, usually in people over 40 years of age. At the same time, this type of cancer is more and more often diagnosed in young people. Then the causes of the disease are not associated with classic risk factors. Find out what are the risk factors for developing throat cancer and whether it is hereditary.
Throat cancerismalignant neoplasmthat occurs in the upper, middle and lower pharynx. Its most common type is squamous cell carcinoma, which is characterized by deep local infiltration, gives early metastases to the lymph nodes and often causes distant metastases, e.g. to the lungs or kidneys.
People over 40 are most likely to suffer from throat cancer - mostly men who are heavy smokers and regularly drink alcohol. Although some types of throat cancer (e.g., lower throat cancer) are also diagnosed in non-smokers as well as in young people.
Throat cancer, including laryngeal cancer, is not hereditary. It seems hereditary susceptibility to cancer, what doctors call the "favorable medium" for the development of a particular type of cancer.
Throat cancer: causes
The most common causes of throat cancer are active and passive smoking and / or alcohol consumption, especially alcohol. Doctors' experience has shown that these two factors are responsible for the majority of throat cancers, most commonlylaryngeal cancer(lower pharynx), which accounts for 40 percent of all head and neck cancers. Another etiological factor is improper diet - low in vitamins and minerals, and high in s alt. The risk of contracting the disease also increases in people who are exposed to chemicals, such as vapors of volatile solvents or inhaling asbestos. Cancer development is also fostered by certain diseases of the larynx and pharynx (most often it is chronic laryngitis) as well as changes and precancerous conditions (e.g. papillomas of the larynx and pharynx, leukoplakia, keratosis and pachydermia).
Oral cancerparts of the throat(middle pharynx)
Men are the most exposed to cancer of the middle throat (they suffer 3 times more often than women), especiallythose over 50. In this case, the above-mentioned risk factors. However, in recent years, it has been shown that this cancer is also associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and occurs at an early age. Then it is not associated with classical risk factors.
Nasopharyngeal cancer(upper throat)
In Poland, it is the least frequently diagnosed type of throat cancer, therefore its exact causes are not fully known. This cancer usually appears in people under the age of 40, with men getting sick twice as often as women. According to doctors' observations, it often coexists with Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. According to doctors, the risk factors inherent in this type of cancer, including cigarette smoke and alcohol, are irrelevant.