Causes of head and neck cancer that can befall you

You may hear more often about cases of breast cancer and cervical cancer in the mass media. But did you know that the number of people with neck and head cancer in Indonesia reaches 32 thousand people per year? However, the information related to neck and head cancer, which is in the third rank, is still very limited. Adult men are at twice the risk of developing this type of cancer than women. I wonder why?

What is head and neck cancer?

Neck and head cancer is a term used to describe a number of different malignant tumors that develop around the tissues and organs of the head and neck. These include cancers of the larynx (vocal cords), throat, lips, mouth, nose, sinuses, and salivary glands.

Most head and neck cancers start in squamous cells, which are cells that line the moist surfaces of the head and neck organs - for example, the cheeks in the mouth, the inner walls of the nose, and the inside of the throat. The salivary glands themselves contain many different types of cells that can turn into cancer, so there are many different types of salivary gland cancer.

What needs to be understood, cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body. Cancer cells in the head or neck can sometimes travel to the lungs and grow there. When cancer cells do this, it's called metastasis. The structure of the cancer cells at the new site will look the same as the cancer at the original site, originating in the head or neck where it started.

So when head and neck cancer spreads to the lungs (or elsewhere), it is still called head and neck cancer. This is not called lung cancer unless it starts in the cells in the lung.

What are the characteristics and symptoms of head and neck cancer?

The most common symptoms of head and neck cancer are lumps or pain that doesn't go away, a sore throat that doesn't go away, difficulty swallowing, and a change in voice or hoarseness.

Symptoms of head and neck cancer that may be more specific include the following:

• A lump, swelling, or mass in the head or neck area, with or without pain
• Bad breath that is not caused by poor oral and dental hygiene
• Nasal congestion that is often recurrent and difficult to get rid of
• Frequent nosebleeds and / or strange discharge from the nose (not mucus or blood)
• Double vision
• Numbness or paralysis of muscles in the face, or pain in the face, chin, or neck that doesn't go away
• Bleeding or unusual pain in the mouth
• Frequent headaches
• Ringing in ears; or difficulty hearing
• Unexplained weight loss

Often some of these symptoms may also be caused by conditions other than cancer that are less serious. It is important to see a doctor if you have any concerns about these symptoms. For a diagnosis of head and neck cancer, your doctor will perform a physical examination and diagnostic tests. You will have a biopsy, where a tissue sample is taken and examined under a microscope. This is the only test that can tell for sure whether you have cancer.

What causes head and neck cancer?

Head and neck cancer is twice as common in adult males. Head and neck cancer is also diagnosed more frequently among people aged 50 years and over than among young people.

Tobacco use is the biggest risk factor for head and neck cancer. Approximately 75-85 percent of head and neck cancer cases are associated with tobacco use, including hand-rolled, cigar, or pipe smoking; chewing tobacco; also electronic cigarettes. The amount of tobacco use can affect the prognosis, which is the chance of recovery. In addition, secondhand smoke inhaled by secondhand smoke can increase their risk of developing head and neck cancer.

Frequent and heavy alcohol consumption is a further risk factor that plays a role in your higher chances of developing head and neck cancer, especially in the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. Using alcohol and tobacco at the same time increases this risk even more. On the other hand, HPV infection is a special risk factor for some head and neck cancers.

Other risk factors for neck and head cancer include preserved foods and salted foods (salted fish and salted eggs, for example) during childhood, poor oral and dental hygiene, as well as radiation exposure to the head and neck area from non-medical examinations. -cancer.

Although risk factors often influence cancer development, most of them do not directly cause cancer. Some people who have a number of risk factors never have this disease, while others with no known risk factors develop this cancer.

How to prevent head and neck cancer?

There is no proven way to actually prevent cancer, including head and neck cancer. However, people who are at risk of developing head and neck cancer - especially those who use tobacco - should discuss with their doctor about possible ways to reduce their risk.

One way is to stop smoking and / or use of all tobacco products. This is the most important first step in reducing your risk of head and neck cancer, even for people who have been smoking for years. Other steps that can reduce your risk of head and neck cancer include:

• Avoid alcohol
• Use sunblock on the body and face skin regularly, including a lip balm with an adequate SPF level
• Maintain proper denture care, if you have one. Dentures that don't fit properly can trap cancer-causing substances and alcohol. You must be diligent in dental control, and have your dentures checked for properness at the dentist at least every 5 years to ensure their fit. Dentures should be removed every night and cleaned and rinsed thoroughly every day.
• Reducing the risk of HPV infection by limiting the number of sexual partners due to multiple sexual partners or having multiple sexual partners at one time increases your risk of this infection. Using a condom cannot completely protect you from HPV during sex.
• Getting the HPV vaccine to prevent HPV infection in the oral cavity which can lead to neck and mouth cancer. However, the use of the HPV vaccine has not been fully approved as a standalone preventive measure for oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) cancer.