Cent Eur J Public Health 2019, 27(2):106-109 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a5565

Environmental and behavioural head and neck cancer risk factors

Vanja Vučičević Boras1, Aleksandra Fučić2, Sandra Baranović3, Igor Blivajs4, Maja Milenović5, Vesna Bišof5,6,7, Zoran Rakušić5,6, Marcello Ceppi8, Marco Bruzzone8
1 School of Dentistry, University of Zagreb, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
2 Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
3 Clinic for Tumours, Clinical Hospital Centre Sisters of Mercy, Zagreb, Croatia
4 Clinical Hospital Centre Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
5 Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia
6 Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Medical Faculty, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
7 Medical School, Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia
8 IRCCS Polyclinic Hospital San Martino, Genova, Italy

Objectives: The high incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC), significantly associated with living environment and behaviour, can be prevented more efficiently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental and behavioural risk factors for HNC.

Methods: Using a detailed questionnaire on social status, education, living and occupational environment exposures, family cancer and lifestyle, HNC patients (103 cases, 76.7% of men) were compared with control subjects (244 subjects, 73% of men) balanced by age: mean (standard deviation) 63.8 (9.3) and 63.8 (9.0) for cases and controls, respectively.

Results: The results of this study showed that smoking and low education were significant risk factors for HNC regardless of sex. Family HNC and breast cancer were significant predictors of HNC risk.

Conclusion: The study confirmed previous results that smoking and low education are significantly associated with HNC. Additionally, results pointed to significant HNC and breast cancer risk in HNC patient's families that may have originated from passive smoking or a smoking habit stemming from social environments that support it. Better dissemination programmes regarding smoking risks for children and adults are needed, targeting not only individuals but also families.

Keywords: head and neck cancer, aetiology, family cancer, smoking, education

Received: October 11, 2018; Revised: April 12, 2019; Accepted: April 12, 2019; Published: June 26, 2019  Show citation

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Vučičević Boras V, Fučić A, Baranović S, Blivajs I, Milenović M, Bišof V, et al.. Environmental and behavioural head and neck cancer risk factors. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2019;27(2):106-109. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a5565. PubMed PMID: 31241284.
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