Head and neck cancer awareness month: Ditch these surprising cancer triggers hidden in your daily habits

Using paan, a mix of betel leaf, areca nut, and sometimes tobacco has been strongly linked to a higher risk of mouth cancer

If you enjoy the occasional smoke or a casual drink with friends, or chew paan after meals, you need to be careful. While these habits may feel normal, they can quietly harm your body and may be the reason behind head and neck cancer.

Head and neck cancers are becoming more common, and many are linked to habits and exposures you often overlook. Tobacco and alcohol top the list of triggers. On their own, they’re harmful, but when used together, the risk rises. These two habits are major causes of cancers in the mouth, throat, and voice box. Most of the cancers that develop in these areas, especially squamous cell carcinomas, have a long history of tobacco and alcohol use behind them.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), many people don’t realise they’re in danger until symptoms show up, and by then, the cancer has often progressed. Research suggests that in the past few years, another cause has come into focus: human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly type 16. It’s now one of the leading causes of oropharyngeal cancers, which affect the tonsils and base of the tongue. Even though HPV can be found in other head and neck cancers, it only seems to cause cancer in the oropharynx. Researchers are still figuring out why, but this trend makes prevention, like getting the HPV vaccine, even more important.

Also read | Head and neck cancer: Early signs and prevention methods

Other causes of head and neck cancers, according to NCI

• Chewing paan: Using paan, a mix of betel leaf, areca nut, and sometimes tobacco, is a cultural habit in parts of Southeast Asia. But it’s been strongly linked to a higher risk of mouth cancer. Someone who regularly chews paan after meals may not realise it’s damaging the cells in their mouth.

• Exposure at the workplace: Jobs that involve breathing in dust or chemicals, like wood dust, asbestos, or synthetic fibres, can raise the risk of certain head and neck cancers. Industries like construction, ceramics, metal work, and logging are especially at risk. For example, a carpenter working in a small, poorly-ventilated workshop may unknowingly inhale wood dust daily, which can affect the nasal passages or throat over the years.

• Radiation to the head or neck: If you’ve had radiation therapy in the past, even for non-cancer issues, it can slightly increase your chance of developing cancer in the salivary glands later. Someone who had radiation for a thyroid issue as a teenager might face a small increased risk of salivary gland cancer as an adult.

• Epstein-barr virus: This virus, which is also known for causing mono (the kissing disease) can play a role in developing cancers of the nasopharynx (area behind the nose) and salivary glands. A person who had a strong EBV infection years ago might be at risk if symptoms like a lump in the neck or nasal congestion appear later.

• Family background and ancestry: People of certain backgrounds, particularly those of Chinese or Southeast Asian descent, may have a higher risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer due to genetic and environmental factors.

• Genetic conditions: Some rare genetic disorders, like Fanconi anemia, can increase the chances of developing head and neck cancers at a young age. A child with Fanconi anemia might be closely monitored by doctors, as the condition makes their cells more vulnerable to becoming cancerous.