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Study: Marijuana use increases the risk of cancer

2024-08-13 10:11:00, Shëndeti CNA

Study: Marijuana use increases the risk of cancer

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Daily marijuana use for years can increase the overall risk of head and neck cancer three to five times, according to a new study that analyzed millions of medical records .

"Our research shows that people who use cannabis are more likely to suffer from head and neck cancer compared to those who do not use cannabis," said study author Niels Kokot, professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

About 69% of people diagnosed with mouth or throat cancer will survive five years or longer after their diagnosis, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, if the cancer metastasizes, this rate drops to 14%. About 61% of people diagnosed with laryngeal cancer will be alive five years later, a rate that drops to 16% if the cancer has spread.

Experts say that tobacco use, which includes smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco, and alcohol use are the two most common causes of head and neck cancer. Other risk factors include poor oral hygiene; gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD; a weakened immune system; and a diet low in fruits and vegetables. Occupational risk factors include exposure to asbestos and wood dust.

How can cannabis cause cancer?

The study, published Thursday in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, analyzed a database of 4 million electronic health records and found more than 116,000 diagnoses of cannabis use disorder in people with head and neck cancer. . Those men and women, whose average age was 46, were then compared with people who also had head and neck cancer but were not diagnosed with a cannabis use disorder.

The analysis showed that people with cannabis use disorder were about 2.5 times more likely to develop oral cancer; almost five times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer, which is cancer of the soft palate, tonsils and back of the throat; and over eight times more likely to develop laryngeal cancer.

Smoke is one of the main reasons for the link between smoking and head and neck cancer, experts say. Smoking doubles the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, which accounts for 90% of all head and neck cancers. Heavier tobacco use leads to an even higher risk, and when alcohol is added, the risk is even greater./CNA