This type of cancer, which mostly affects people over 50 years of age, corresponds to cancer that occurs mainly in the area of the mouth, tongue, palate, tonsils or angina and larynx.
Risk factor’s
Within the framework of the World Day Against Head and Neck Cancer, which is commemorated every July 27, Dr. Miguel Ángel Álvarez Avitia, Medical Oncologist attached to the National Cancer Institute, explained that poor oral hygiene, tobacco, alcohol and The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) represent the main risk factors for developing this disease.
“Currently it is known that poor oral hygiene, especially in people who consume tobacco and drink alcohol, as well as the infection caused by HPV, which is acquired by unprotected oral sex, directly affect the mucous membranes of the oral area. and pharyngeal or neck and face causing the development of this type of cancer ”.
Between 30 and 75 percent of patients with head and neck cancer in the mouth and tonsils have an HPV infection prior to their diagnosis. This situation has been increasing for at least two decades due to the change in sexual practices of the population in recent years.
On this subject, Dr. Álvarez Avitia explained that the presence of varieties of HPV has been identified in patients who have developed oropharyngeal cancer up to 10 years before the presentation of the tumors. This shows the significantly increased risk of having this cancer compared to those who are not carriers of the virus.
Main symptoms
The most common symptoms that occur in patients with Head and Neck Cancer are: ulcers on the tongue, areas of bleeding or red and / or white spots on the gums, persistent sore throat, difficulty passing food, hoarseness and nose congested.
Regarding the above, Mayra Galindo, Director of the Mexican Association for the Fight Against Cancer, stressed that it is essential to promote timely detection among Mexicans because symptoms in their early stages are often ignored. That causes the disease to advance. On the other hand, by detecting it in time, the tumor can be curable, so the periodic review with the doctor helps to identify any anomaly or situation of care.
On the other hand, another challenge is the need for patient coverage because not all health institutions cover this condition. In this way, the director of the AMLCC stated that today civil organizations have a great challenge and require the collaboration of people, allies and various national and international institutions.
Head and Neck Cancer deeply invades the tissues, so patients run the risk of the disease spreading rapidly to the lymph nodes in the neck or even distant metastasis, which not only causes intense pain, but also it affects essential functions for anyone such as eating, speaking, and even breathing.