Cannabis use linked to head and neck cancer

A study from the USC Head and Neck Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC and the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, suggests that cannabis, the most commonly used illicit drug in the world, is associated with an increased incidence of head and neck complaints. neck cancer.

A large multicenter study published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery revealed that adults with cannabis dependence, known as 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.

“This is one of the first studies – and the largest we know of to date – linking head and neck cancer to cannabis use,” said Niels Kokot, MD, head and neck surgeon at the USC Head and Neck Center and a senior researcher. author of the study. “The detection of this risk factor is important because head and neck cancer may be preventable once people know what behaviors increase their risk.”

Kokot is also a professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Head and neck cancer, the sixth most common cancer in the world, encompasses several types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oropharynx (tongue, tonsils, and back wall of the throat), and adjacent salivary glands.

The researchers, including lead study author Tyler Gallagher, an MD/MPH candidate at the Keck School, found that people with cannabis use disorder were more likely to suffer from all types of head and neck cancer. They also found that the prevalence of head and neck cancer among people with cannabis use disorder was independent of other factors, such as age, gender and ethnicity. Alcohol and tobacco use, which have been linked to head and neck cancer, also did not play a role in the findings.

Kokot and his fellow researchers hypothesize that the main reason cannabis increases the risk of head and neck cancer is the harmful effect of the smoke. Cannabis is mainly consumed via inhalation (although the study did not distinguish between consumption methods).

Additionally, research has shown that tobacco smoke contains numerous chemicals that cause DNA damage and inflammation in the area, which if left unchecked can lead to cancer, and it is speculated that cannabis smoke may cause similar damage.

There are even indications, Kokot believes, that cannabis smoke can be even worse than tobacco smoke.

“Smoking cannabis is typically unfiltered and requires deeper inhalation compared to tobacco,” he said. “Additionally, cannabis burns at a higher temperature than tobacco, increasing the risk of cancer-causing inflammation.”

Kokot would like to see further research into the link between cannabis and head and neck cancer. In the meantime, he hopes this research will help people make more informed choices and raise awareness about the link between head and neck cancer and cannabis use.

To reach their conclusions, the researchers collected two decades of data from a health research network of 64 healthcare organizations, covering more than 90 million individuals. They followed cancer cases from one to five years of cannabis use.