LOS ANGELES – Cannabis use is linked to a higher risk of head and neck cancers, according to new research published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. Researchers from the University of Southern California found that people struggling with cannabis use disorder are 3.5 to 5 times more likely to develop head and neck cancer than those who do not use the substance.
“The detection of this risk factor is important because head and neck cancer may be preventable once people know which behaviors increase their risk,” Dr. Niels Kokot, a head and neck surgeon with the USC Head and Neck Center and senior author of the study, said in a press release.
Head and neck cancer, which includes cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oropharynx (tongue, tonsils, and the back of the throat), and nearby salivary glands, is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. The study suggests that the primary reason cannabis increases the risk of these cancers is the harmful effects of smoke inhalation. Although the study didn’t differentiate between methods of cannabis consumption, smoking is the most common.
Kokot theorizes that cannabis smoke might even be more harmful than tobacco smoke. “Cannabis smoking is typically unfiltered and involves deeper inhalation compared to tobacco,” he said. “Additionally, cannabis burns at a higher temperature than tobacco, increasing the risk of cancer-causing inflammation.”
Dr. Kokot emphasizes the need for further research into the potential connection between cannabis use and head and neck cancer.
