A recent study has found that high levels of particulate matter (PM) are linked to head and neck cancer.
Dr. John Kramer, who led the study, said that in previous studies on air pollution, most of its cancer-related effects were seen in the lower respiratory tract. Head and neck cancer was a difficult thing to link to, and its incidence was much lower than lung cancer.
He said that since head and neck cancer cases were reported as a result of smoking (like lung cancer), researchers tried to find out any possible link. Apparently, head and neck cancer is related to the substances we inhale. Researchers have seen many cases in which carcinogens touch or accumulate in parts of the body where cancer can occur.
“While the effects of air pollution on lung disease have been extensively studied, few studies have focused on the risks of this pollution to the upper respiratory tract, including head and neck cancers,” said senior author Stella Lee.
She said the findings highlight the important role of environmental pollution in upper respiratory tract cancers and highlight the need for more awareness, research and efforts to eliminate it.
The study, led by researchers from Wayne State University, Johns Hopkins University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Mass., was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
