Heavy, regular cannabis use may increase the risk of head and neck cancer, according to a new study.
The study examined 20 years' worth of medical records from more than 116,000 U.S. adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Three in 10 cannabis users are affectedThe disorder is defined as when cannabis use is problematic, causes significant impairment or distress, and is accompanied by signs of tolerance (the need to use more of the drug to get the same high) and dependence (including withdrawal symptoms).
A new study published in the journal Neurology on Thursday (August 8) found that, compared with adults without CUD, these individuals were 3.5 to 5 times more likely to develop head and neck cancer. JAMA Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck SurgeryThese include the oral cavity, throat, larynx, salivary glands, OropharyngealThis area includes the tongue, tonsils, and back wall of the throat.
“This is one of the first studies to show an association between head and neck cancer and cannabis use and the largest study we know of to date,” said the lead study author. Dr. Niels KokottHead and neck surgeons at the University of Southern California Head and Neck Center said: statement“Detecting these risk factors is important because knowing what behaviors increase risk may help prevent head and neck cancer.”
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The study extracted data from TriNetX, a treasure trove of patient data from 64 medical centers in the United States, collected between 2004 and 2024. In addition to patients with CUD, the study also included data from more than 3.9 million people who had not been diagnosed with the disease.
People with CUD were directly compared with people of the same age and sex, and the researchers also took into account alcohol and tobacco use, the leading causes of head and neck cancer.
Compared with controls, people with CUD were more likely to develop all types of head and neck cancer except for hypopharyngeal cancer, which affects the lower part of the throat.
The study did not look at how patients used cannabis, such as whether they smoked it or ingested it, so it cannot say for sure whether cannabis smoke caused the cancer. Contains carcinogens Similar to what's in tobacco smoke, or the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, Activates certain enzymes It may promote cancer.
“The cannabinoids themselves may be carcinogenic, and the smoke itself may be carcinogenic,” Kokotte said. He told NBC News.
However, the study has several limitations, including that participants' cannabis use was self-reported, and the exact amount of exposure is unknown.
It's too early to say whether the link between heavy cannabis use and head and neck cancer will persist in the long term, but “the implications of the report… are sobering,” say doctors from the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center and San Diego's Xiangya Hospital. China Written Commentary on the research.
Notably, the study's data spans a 20-year period during which cannabis use has become more common, the researchers wrote. If it is confirmed that cannabis promotes cancer in some way, it is possible that cannabis-related incidence of head and neck cancers may become more common with cannabis use, the researchers concluded.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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