Epidemiology of head and neck cancer

Our plain-English summary of Epidemiology of head and neck cancer, by K.J. Rothman (The Laryngoscope, 1978).

The study

• Author: K.J. Rothman
• Journal: The Laryngoscope
• Published: 1978;88(3):435-8
• Cited by: 26 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy (J-M no. 002147).

Abstract

The epidemiology of head and neck cancer can be accounted for largely in terms of known carcinogens introduced into the body through the mouth. Though there are many environmental exposures--such as asbestos, radon, nickel and arsenic--which have strong carcinogenic effects, most of these have only a small impact on the general population because exposure is limited, usually to small occupational groups. Two prevalent exposures, however, tobacco and alcohol, are strong risk factors for nearly all sites in the head and neck, and together account for about 80%-90% of all cancers of the head and neck. There is evidence for biologic interaction between some occupational exposures and cigarette smoking for cancer of the lung, and tobacco and alcohol for cancer of the mouth. Based on this evidence for biologic interaction and the prevalence of smoking, it seems likely that tobacco is related to about 80% of all cancers of the head and neck in the United States.

In plain English

This article was a short review based on a 1977 talk, not a new study. The author summarized published research on the causes of cancer at four sites: lung, larynx, esophagus, and mouth including pharynx. The author described asbestos particles and radon gas as uncommon contaminants of inhaled air that cause lung cancer, often in special occupational settings. Citing earlier work, the author wrote that cigarette smoke seems to act synergistically with asbestos and radon gas in raising lung cancer risk. No asbestos fiber type was named, and asbestos was discussed only in relation to lung cancer. Citing other studies, the author stated that cigarette smoke was related to 80-90% of US lung cancer cases. The author also stated that alcohol and tobacco together can raise mouth and pharynx cancer risk more than 15 times compared with people who neither smoke nor drink. The author concluded that already identified risk factors appeared to account for more than 90% of new cases of cancer at these sites, with tobacco related to about 80%.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Narrative review of published literature, presented as a talk at a 1977 society meeting; no original data
• Who was studied: No study population. The author reviewed published research on cancers of the lung, larynx, esophagus, and mouth and pharynx, mostly concerning the United States. The talk was presented in Boston on May 10, 1977.
• Exposure: Mainly tobacco smoking and alcohol. The author also mentioned occupational carcinogens for lung cancer, including asbestos particles (no fiber type named), radon gas, arsenic, chromium, coal products, iron oxide, mustard gas, nickel and petroleum.
• Main results:
  • Citing earlier work (reference 1), the author wrote that cigarette smoke seems to act synergistically with asbestos and radon gas in raising lung cancer risk.
  • The author stated that inhaled cigarette smoke was the major environmental cause of lung cancer and was related to 80-90% of lung cancer cases in the United States.
  • For mouth and pharynx cancer, citing an earlier study by the author and a colleague (reference 10), the author wrote that alcohol and tobacco together can increase risk more than 15 times compared with people who neither smoke nor drink. Each factor alone was described as giving up to a two- to three-fold increase.
  • The author judged that tobacco was likely related to about 80% of all cancers of the head and neck in the United States.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that, from what was then known, already identified risk factors appeared to account for more than 90% of new cases of cancer at these sites, and that tobacco alone was related to about 80% of cases.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Epidemiology, Environmental Exposure, Carcinogenic, Occupational Exposure.

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Browse more research in The Laryngoscope, or return to medical research.