Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2019; 40(S 01): S18-S22
DOI: 10.4103/ijmpo.ijmpo_252_17
Original Article

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Young Adults: A Hospital‑Based Study

Jagannath Dev Sharma
Departments of Pathology, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam, India
,
Nizara Baishya
Departments of Hospital Based Cancer Registry, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam, India
,
Amal Chandra Kataki
Departments of Gynae- Oncology, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam, India
,
Chandi Ram Kalita
Departments of Hospital Based Cancer Registry, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam, India
,
Ashok Kumar Das
Departments of Head and Neck Oncology, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam, India
,
Tashnin Rahman
Departments of Head and Neck Oncology, Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Assam, India
› Author Affiliations Financial support and sponsorship Nil.
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) account for 30% of all cancers in India. In north eastern India, tobacco-related cancers are very common because of the widespread use of tobacco. The paucity of any study from this region in young head and neck patients has prompted us to take up this study. Methodology: A retrospective study was conducted at Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati during January 2015–December 2015. Data regarding tumor site, age, sex, education, habit of tobacco (smokeless and smoke), and betel nut consumption were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 19. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: About 75.1% patients were males. Among patients ≤39 years, 83.7% were tobacco chewers, 50.5% were smokers, and 83.7% betel nut chewers, and among >39 years, these proportions were 83.7%, 56.2%, and 78.7%, respectively. The most common site among ≤39 years and >39 were mouth (40.8%) and hypopharynx (36.8%). Among tobacco and betel nut chewers and smokers, the most common sites were mouth (40.3%, 42.5%) and hypopharynx (41.5%). The site of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma was highly associated with chewing and smoking habit (P < 0.05). Among illiterate patients, proportions of tobacco and betel nut chewers and smokers were 65.3%, 61.6%, and 67.9%, respectively. Conclusion: A positive association between tobacco use, male gender, and low education levels were found. The younger generation should be made aware about the adverse health consequences of tobacco use to reduce the preventable risk factors of HNC.

Keywords

Head and neck - squamous cell - tobacco - young


Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2021

© 2019. Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Jemal A, Bray F, Center MM, Ferlay J, Ward E, Forman D. et al. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 2011; 61: 69-90
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Gupta PC. Mouth cancer in India: A new epidemic?. J Indian Med Assoc 1999; 97: 370-3
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Llewellyn CD, Johnson NW, Warnakulasuriya KA. Risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity in young people – A comprehensive literature review. Oral Oncol 2001; 37: 401-18
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Schantz SP, Yu GP. Head and neck cancer incidence trends in young Americans, 1973-1997, with a special analysis for tongue cancer. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002; 128: 268-74
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Llewellyn CD, Linklater K, Bell J, Johnson NW, Warnakulasuriya KA. Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity in patients aged 45 years and under: A descriptive analysis of 116 cases diagnosed in the South East of England from 1990 to 1997. Oral Oncol 2003; 39: 106-14
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Toner M, O’Regan EM. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in the young: A spectrum or a distinct group? Part 1. Head Neck Pathol 2009; 3: 246-8
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Jemal A, Siegel R, Ward E, Murray T, Xu J, Thun MJ. et al. Cancer statistics, 2007. CA Cancer J Clin 2007; 57: 43-66
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Boyle P, Levin B. World Cancer Report. International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2008
    Google Scholar
  • 9 Ragin CC, Modugno F, Gollin SM. The epidemiology and risk factors of head and neck cancer: A focus on human papillomavirus. J Dent Res 2007; 86: 104-14
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Kreimer AR, Clifford GM, Boyle P, Franceschi S. Human papillomavirus types in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas worldwide: A systematic review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005; 14: 467-75
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Adhikari A, De M. Toxic effects of betel quid. Int J Hum Genet 2013; 13: 7-14
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Stepanov I, Jensen J, Hatsukami D, Hecht SS. New and traditional smokeless tobacco: Comparison of toxicant and carcinogen levels. Nicotine Tob Res 2008; 10: 1773-82
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Mondal R, Ghosh SK. Accumulation of mutations over the complete mitochondrial genome in tobacco-related oral cancer from Northeast India. Mitochondrial DNA 2013; 24: 432-9
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Schantz SP, Hsu TC, Ainslie N, Moser RP. Young adults with head and neck cancer express increased susceptibility to mutagen-induced chromosome damage. JAMA 1989; 262: 3313-5
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Sturgis EM, Wei Q. Genetic susceptibility – Molecular epidemiology of head and neck cancer. Curr Opin Oncol 2002; 14: 310-7
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Llewellyn CD, Johnson NW, Warnakulasuriya KA. Risk factors for oral cancer in newly diagnosed patients aged 45 years and younger: A case-control study in Southern England. J Oral Pathol Med 2004; 33: 525-32
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Sturgis EM, Wei Q, Spitz MR. Descriptive epidemiology and risk factors for head and neck cancer. Semin Oncol 2004; 31: 726-33
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Dahlstrom KR, Little JA, Zafereo ME, Lung M, Wei Q, Sturgis EM. et al. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in never smoker-never drinkers: A descriptive epidemiologic study. Head Neck 2008; 30: 75-84
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Kulkarni MK. Head and neck cancer burden in India. Int J Head Neck Surg 2013; 4: 29-35
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J, Pisani P. Global cancer statistics, 2002. CA Cancer J Clin 2005; 55: 74-108
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Gawecki W, Szyfter K, Szyfter W. Clinical and histopathological analysis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in young adults. Otolaryngol Pol 2007; 61: 11-6
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Patel SC, Carpenter WR, Tyree S, Couch ME, Weissler M, Hackman T. et al. Increasing incidence of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma in young white women, age 18 to 44 years. J Clin Oncol 2011; 29: 1488-94
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Mafi N, Kadivar M, Hosseini N, Ahmadi S, Zare-Mirzaie A. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in Iranian patients and risk factors in young adults: A fifteen-year study. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2012; 13: 3373-8
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Müller S, Pan Y, Li R, Chi AC. Changing trends in oral squamous cell carcinoma with particular reference to young patients: 1971-2006. The Emory University experience. Head Neck Pathol 2008; 2: 60-6
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Kekatpure V, Kuriakose MA. Oral Cancer in India: Learning From Different Populations. National Newsletter and Website From New York Presbyterian Hospital; 2010: 14 Available from: http://www.nypcancerprevention.com/issue/14/cancer_prevention/feature/india.shtml. [Last accessed on 2017 Dec 15].
    Google Scholar
  • 26 Jandoo T, Mehrotra R. Tobacco control in India: Present scenario and challenges ahead. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2008; 9: 805-10
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Jha P, Chaloupka FJ. Curbing the Epidemic: Governments and Economics of Tobacco Control. Washington, DC: World Bank; 1999
    Google Scholar
  • 28 O’Regan EM, Timon C, Sheils O, Codd M, O’Leary JJ, Toner M. et al. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in young Irish adults. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2006; 44: 203-6
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Merchant A, Husain SS, Hosain M, Fikree FF, Pitiphat W, Siddiqui AR. et al. Paan without tobacco: An independent risk factor for oral cancer. Int J Cancer 2000; 86: 128-31
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Gupta R. Smoking, educational status and health inequity in India. Indian J Med Res 2006; 124: 15-22
    PubMedGoogle Scholar