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Conditions

Throat Cancer Causes & Risk Factors

Different cancers have different risk factors. Risk factors increase your chances of getting a disease. But, keep in mind that many people with one or more risk factors may never develop throat cancer, while others with this disease have no known risk factors at all.

It is important to know the risk factors so that appropriate action can be taken such as changing a health behavior or being monitored closely for a potential cancer.

Alcohol and Tobacco

Studies show people with a history of alcohol dependence and tobacco use have a higher rate of throat cancer.1 Smokeless tobacco products are not a safe substitute for tobacco smoking; harmful health effects include, among other things, throat cancer.1

Gender

Gender plays a dramatic role in who will develop throat cancer. Men are 10 times more likely to develop the disease than women.2

Increasing Age

The risk of throat cancer increases with age. Most people with this disease are over the age of 50.2

HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

A recent study found HPV (human papillomavirus) exposure and infection (HPV 16 infection) to be strong risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer (a type of throat cancer).3 Results show that HPV exposure and infection increase the risk of throat cancer independent of tobacco and alcohol use – the other important risk factors for this disease.3

HPV 16 is one of the two strains of HPV most often associated with cervical cancer. While HPV 16 is sexually acquired, researchers say direct mouth-to-mouth contact cannot be ruled out.3

  1. American Cancer Society; Smokeless Tobacco and How to Quit. Available from: www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Quitting_Smokeless_Tobacco.asp?sitearea=PED
  2. National Institutes of Health, Cancer – throat or larynx. Available from: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001042.htm
  3. American Cancer Society; HPV a Risk Factor for Oropharyngeal Cancer. Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/hpv-oropharyngeal-cancer0507
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