How early lifestyle choices determine head and neck cancer risk

It is very important to maintain optimum head and neck health in our everyday life by practicing holistic habits like choosing pillows and mattresses with good lumbar support, maintaining good body posture, taking breaks from sitting or standing for too long, maintaining good oral hygiene, and exercising. In case of any anomaly, one should immediately seek out a doctor.

A serious ailment which affects the head, and the neck areas is cancer. This type of cancer usually starts in the squamous cells of the mouth, throat (larynx) and voice box (pharynx). A less common form of head and neck cancer occurs in the form of cancer of the salivary glands and the sinuses.
The main reason behind all forms of head and neck cancer is usually

tobacco and alcohol consumption

. Tobacco usage like smoking cigarettes, beedis/bidhis, consuming chewing tobaccos like gutkas are extremely harmful as they contain nicotine, a cancer-causing chemical. Another important reason for oral cancer is via the transmission of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted virus, and can infect the mouth causing cancers like oropharyngeal cancer, which impacts the back of the throat, base of the tongue and tonsils.
Another factor adding to cancer risk is a poor, nutrient-lacking, heavy fat diet consisting of ultra-processed food on the regular. A diet that is high in fat and sugar starves the body of essential nutrients and weakens the immune system, making it more susceptible to a host of ailments. Ultra processed food also contains many harmful chemicals and preservatives which have been found to cause cancer. A normal healthy diet should consist of more fruits and vegetables and be nutrient heavy. A poor diet combined with rising air and water pollution spells disaster for the human body, which ends up inhaling and ingesting tons of carcinogens.

When it comes to head and neck cancer, as with all forms of cancer, the best way to deal with it is early diagnosis. It becomes harder to cure cancer as it advances, thus regular screening is important. However, since symptoms for head and neck cancer are very common and not definite it can be hard to create awareness for the same since most symptoms like swelling of the mouth, sore throat, weight loss etc. are associated with a host of other ailments. Those with a family history of cancer should go for yearly screenings as that is the only way to defeat it. However, medical science has made tremendous advancement and with proper treatment and aftercare individuals go on to lead healthy and cancer-free lives.
(Author: Dr. Nambiraj Konar, Consultant & Head – Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, HCG ICS Khubchandani Cancer Centre, Colaba)