What Causes Head and Neck Cancers?

 

The two main causes of head and neck cancer are:

  • Tobacco use - an estimated 80 percent to 90 percent of people with head and neck cancers use tobacco (this includes smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and dipping snuff)

  • Frequent and heavy alcohol use 

The combined use of tobacco and alcohol heightens the risk of developing head and neck cancer even more.  Learn more about risk factors for specific cancers by visiting those topics. 

What Causes Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers?
This content was last reviewed August 15, 2010 by Dr. Reshma L. Mahtani.
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Glaxo HPV vaccine protects women from anal cancer

August 23, 2011 — CHICAGO (Reuters) - A vaccine to prevent cervical cancer offered strong protection against anal cancer in a large study of women in Costa Rica, adding to evidence that such vaccines can protect against more than just cervical cancer, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

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