Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Why Head and Neck Cancers Are Rising Among Young Indians
Head and neck cancers can affect the mouth, throat, thyroid and parotid glands.
They can make eating, speaking and daily life difficult.
Tobacco and alcohol are two of the biggest causes.
Smoking, chewing gutka or paan, and drinking alcohol can all increase risk.
Using tobacco and alcohol together raises the risk much more than using either one alone.
Supari, also called areca nut, can also cause changes that may lead to cancer.
Some throat cancers are linked to human papillomavirus, or HPV.
Vaping is not considered completely safe, although its long-term risks are still being studied.
Avoiding tobacco and alcohol, learning about HPV, and preventing young people from starting these habits may reduce cancer risk.
India is facing a growing cancer burden, with 2.1 million new cases projected by 2040.
Mouth cancer is the most common cancer among Indian men, accounting for more than 20% of cancers in men.
Tobacco, alcohol, gutka, paan and supari are major risk factors for head and neck cancers.
Using tobacco and alcohol together can increase mouth and throat cancer risk to nine times that of the general population.
HPV-related throat cancers and vaping are emerging concerns among younger people in India.
- Who
- Young Indians and other people exposed to tobacco, alcohol, supari, HPV or vaping are discussed; India has a particularly high burden of head and neck cancers.
- What
- Head and neck cancers are increasing concerns, with mouth and throat cancers among the most prevalent forms in India.
- When
- Cancer incidence is projected to rise by 2040; the article also describes current increases in HPV-related throat cancers and youth smoking.
- Where
- India, with the highest tobacco and supari use rates concentrated in South-Central Asia, South-East Asia and Melanesia.
- Why
- The main reasons identified are widespread tobacco and alcohol use, supari consumption, increasing smoking among young people, emerging HPV-related cancers and vaping.
- Projected Indian cancer cases
- 2.1 million new cases are expected in India by 2040, a 57.5% increase from 2020.
- Global tobacco users
- About 1.3 billion people worldwide use tobacco in some form.
- Global areca-nut users
- Around 300 million people worldwide use areca nut, or supari.
- Most common cancer among Indian men
- Mouth cancer accounts for more than 20% of cancers among Indian men.
- Major risk factors
- Tobacco and alcohol are identified as the leading lifestyle risk factors.
- Combined-use risk
- The article states that smoking and alcohol together can raise cancer risk to nine times that of the general population.
- Other emerging concerns
- HPV-related throat cancers and vaping are identified as growing concerns.