The news of cancer is dreaded by anyone. And even if advances in medicine have improved the chances of survival, the risk of succumbing is still very present. So to put all the chances on your side, it is better to take the lead and have a healthy lifestyle.
If prostate, lung and breast cancers are the most common in France, those in the ENT (otorhinolaryngeal) sphere are also present, with 14,000 new cases each year. Concretely, these cancers affect the upper part of the respiratory and digestive tracts (nose, mouth, throat, trachea and esophagus) and are mainly caused by the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. In total, 95% of people with such cancer are smokers.
As the Foundation for Cancer Research points out, avoiding them is within everyone’s reach. By stopping smoking, the risk of developing cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract decreases rapidly and steadily until it becomes close to that of people who have never smoked after twenty years. Conversely, if you smoke and drink regularly and simultaneously, the effects are devastating. “When used together, the effects of tobacco and alcohol do not add up, they multiply. This is called the synergistic effect on the cancer risk of VADS, in particular of the larynx”explained the National Cancer Institute on its website.
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Another factor identified
At the same time, for many years, another risk factor has been identified: the HPV virus (Human Papilloma Virus). It is mainly involved in cancers of the tonsils area, called the oropharynx. This is in particular the reason why vaccination against HPV is recommended for all young people aged 11 to 14 (girls and boys), with a possible catch-up from 15 to 19 years of age.
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Finally, certain cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract may be linked to occupational exposure to certain substances. Particularly wood dust, officially classified as a “proven carcinogen” for cancers of the nasopharynx, nasal cavity and sinuses. It is believed to be the cause of 45% of these cancers.
Note that the age of onset of ENT cancers is generally between 50 and 64 years, but can affect younger patients (cancers of the oral cavity, cancers due to HPV, cancers of the cavum).
