8 months ago
Skipping Meals, Tobacco Use Triple Throat Cancer Risk
A study in Guwahati found that skipping meals and using tobacco can make throat cancer much more likely.
People who wait five hours or more between meals and use tobacco during that time have almost three times the risk of getting throat cancer.
Each extra hour without eating adds even more risk.
But eating lots of citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables can help protect against this cancer.
The study also found that drinking tea, which many people in Assam do, doesn't seem to increase the risk of throat cancer.
The researchers say it's important to make lifestyle changes to prevent this serious cancer, as treatment can be difficult and may even lead to losing your natural voice.
Prolonged meal gaps and tobacco use triple the risk of hypopharynx cancer.
Each additional hour between meals increases risk by 46%.
Citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables are protective against the cancer.
Drinking tea was not significantly associated with hypopharynx cancer risk.
The study was conducted by BBCI and IASST and accepted for publication in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.
- Who
- Individuals with prolonged meal gaps and tobacco use
- What
- Increased risk of hypopharynx or throat cancer
- Where
- Guwahati, Assam, India
- When
- Study conducted and accepted for publication in December 2023
- Why
- To understand the impact of lifestyle factors on hypopharynx cancer risk
Key facts
- Study Conducted By
- Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) and the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST)
- Risk Increase
- Nearly three times higher risk with 5+ hour meal gaps and tobacco use
- Additional Risk per Hour
- 46% increase in risk for each additional hour between meals
- Protective Factors
- Higher consumption of citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables
- Tea Consumption
- No significant association with hypopharynx cancer risk
- Publication
- Accepted for publication in the Indian Journal of Medical Research
- Lead Investigator
- Dr Lipi Mahanta
- Hypopharynx Cancer Incidence
- Among the highest in the world in Assam and Northeast India
Quotes
Dr Tashnin Rahman
Professor of Head & Neck Surgery at BBCI and part of the research team
“More than 700 patients with hypopharynx cancer are seen at our institute every year. The standard of care for early hypopharynx cancer is radiation therapy. However, many patients who do not respond to the radiation therapy end up with salvage surgery, leading to loss of the natural voice. Hence, preventive strategies through lifestyle modifications are vital to tackle hypopharynx cancer.”
assamtribune.com
Dr Manigreeva Krishnatreya
Researcher in the Department of Cancer Epidemiology at BBCI
“This is the first epidemiological study that provides a link between prolonged inter-meal intervals and hypopharynx cancer risk in our population. There are very limited case-control studies on hypopharynx cancer from this region. In a case-control study, both patients with hypopharynx cancer, referred to as cases, and healthy individuals without cancer (controls) matched with cases are compared.”
assamtribune.com
Sources
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