Research Shows: Unhealthy Habits Double the Risk of Oral Cancer
A new study warns that excessive drinking, smoking, and an unhealthy diet can double the risk of young people developing oral, laryngeal, and esophageal cancer.
Upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers, such as oral, laryngeal, and esophageal cancer, claim the lives of 10,000 people in the UK and 100,000 in Europe each year. However, a new five-year study by the University of Aberdeen has found that UADT cases are increasingly common among young people. The study, funded by the European Union, investigated 350 UADT cancer patients under 50 and 400 patients without such cancer. The results showed that 90% of UADT patients developed the disease due to smoking, excessive drinking, and a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables. It has already been confirmed that these risk factors are also the main causes of cancer in the elderly.
Professor Gary Macfarlane, head of the new study and an epidemiologist, stated that the incidence of UADT cancer is rising globally, with the most rapid increase in cases among adults under 50. The study found that over the past 20 years, cases of upper aerodigestive tract cancer in men aged 40-49 have doubled.
Macfarlane pointed out that the next step of the research will be to specifically investigate whether intoxication is an independent risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract cancer.