Pharyngeal Cancer Risk Factors
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What Are the Risk Factors for Pharyngeal Cancer?
As with many cancers, the risk of developing pharyngeal cancer increases with age. Men are more likely to develop pharyngeal cancer than women, with most people being over the age of 65.
Risk factors for pharyngeal cancer differ depending on where the cancer grows in the throat.
Common risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer include:
- Contracting Epstein-Barr virus
- Diet high in salt
Common risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer include:
- Tobacco use
- Excessive alcohol use
- Poor nutrition
- Contracting human papillomavirus (HPV)
Common risk factors for hypopharyngeal cancer include:
- Tobacco use
- Excessive alcohol use
- Diet low in vitamins A and E
- Workplace exposure to asbestos and/or other inhalants
- Plummer-Vinson syndrome, which causes difficulty swallowing
NOTE: Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer. Not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. If you think you may be at risk, you should discuss it with your doctor
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