It’s no secret that air pollution is tied to lung disease and cancer, but a new study sheds light on the significant role of pollution when it comes to head and neck cancer.
Mass General Brigham researchers have found that air pollution is linked to higher rates of head and neck aerodigestive cancer.
“While there has been substantial research investigating the effects of air pollutants on lung disease, few studies have focused on air pollution exposure as a risk factor for the upper airway, including the development of head and neck cancer,” said study senior author Stella Lee.
“These findings shed light on the significant role of environmental pollution in cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, highlighting the need for further awareness, research and mitigation efforts,” added Lee, who’s with the Center for Surgery and Public Health and division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system.
The study, “Air Pollution Exposure and Head and Neck Cancer Incidence,” is the work of a multi-institutional collaboration with researchers from Mass General Brigham, Johns Hopkins University and Wayne State University.
“Environmental health and personal health are inextricably linked,” said co-author Amanda Dilger, of the Center for Surgery and Public Health and Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
“Our study highlights the need to improve air quality standards in order to decrease the risk of developing cancer, including head and neck cancer,” Dilger added.
The research was led by John Cramer, associate professor of otolaryngology, and John Peleman, medical resident in the department of Otolaryngology in the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
“There has been previous research on air pollution, but the effects mostly were connected to cancers within the lower respiratory system,” Cramer said. “Head and neck cancer is a harder link to show, and it has…
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