Fine Particulate Matter Linked to Increased Incidence of Head, Neck Cancer
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Nov. 21, 2024 -- Exposure to air pollution in the form of particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is associated with an increased incidence of head and neck cancer, according to a study published online Nov. 12 in Scientific Reports.
John Peleman, M.D., from Wayne State University in Detroit, and colleagues examined the effect of PM2.5 on head and neck aerodigestive cancer incidence in a cohort analysis using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results national cancer database from 2002 to 2012. A linear mixed model was used to assess the relationship between U.S. county mean PM2.5 levels and head and neck cancer incidence rates.
The researchers found that after controlling for demographic characteristics, smoking, and alcohol use, there was a significant association between head and neck cancer incidence and certain subtypes with PM2.5 exposure. The highest association was seen at a five-year lag period (β = 0.24). Significant associations were also seen at no lag and up to a 20-year lag period (β = 0.16 and 0.15, respectively).
"With increasing importance on environmental health and preventative medicine, this study adds to the expanding body of literature that supports improved air quality standards to mitigate the effects of air pollution on development of cancer, including head and neck cancer," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
Cannabis Use Disorder May Up Risk of Benign Salivary Gland Tumors
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with increased risk of benign salivary gland tumors, according to a research letter published online July 17 in...
Updated Guidance Improves Staging of HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Version nine of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and Union for International Cancer Control staging system (AJCC9V) human papillomavirus...
Adding Pembrolizumab to Standard Care Ups Event-Free Survival in Head, Neck Cancer
FRIDAY, June 27, 2025 -- For patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the addition of neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab to standard care...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.