Air pollution linked to increased risk of head and neck cancer, says study

SALT LAKE CITY — A new study links an air pollutant to an increased risk of head and neck cancers.

Poor air quality is already linked to increased health risks, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, as well as lung and breast cancers, all increase after exposure to air pollution.

The study from Wayne State University in Detroit found a common pollutant in wildfire smoke, car exhaust, and industrial emissions.  Each has an air pollutant that increases the risk of certain cancers, especially in the upper respiratory system. 

Among the pollution sources studied, the Wayne State authors said wildfire smoke had the worst effect on people. But they also said more research is needed to learn why.

The study found that the tissue in the head and neck are particularly vulnerable to pollution in the air. That’s because those areas come into direct contact with pollution particles.

Head and neck cancers can occur in the lining of the mouth, the throat, sinuses, and salivary glands of the voice box. At the beginning of 2024, the National Cancer Institute estimated that around 71,100 people in the U.S. would receive a head and neck cancer diagnosis. They predicted about 22% of those diagnosed would die from the disease. 

The study also mentioned how people who come from historically marginalized communities are disproportionately exposed to bad air.

A study from 2020 shows that those specifically in ‘communities of color and those of lower socioeconomic status’ are more likely exposed to harsher conditions. These conditions include factors from urban areas like air pollution and heat.

However, the Wayne State authors said that air pollution exposure is still under-recognized as a social factor of health. 

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