Chewing Tobacco: An Underestimated Danger

In the U.S. this year more than 55,000 Americans will develop cancer of the head and neck (most of which is preventable) and nearly 13,000 of them will die from it. The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) reports that many of these cancer-related deaths are caused by the use of smokeless tobacco products, like chewing tobacco and snuff.

Despite the indication that cigarette smoking is the most dangerous use of tobacco, a study released this month funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society suggests that users of smokeless tobacco are exposed to higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals than traditional smokers. The research results were published in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Due to an increased awareness of the dangers of smoking, many Americans have made the recommended choice to quit smoking,” says Marion Couch, M.D., PhD of the AAO-HNS committee on head and neck surgery and associate professor of otolaryngology at the UNC Cancer Hospital. “Unfortunately, many of these people switch to smokeless tobacco products thinking it is safer when they are merely changing the site of the cancer risk from their lungs to their mouth.”

Fortunately, most head and neck cancers produce early symptoms. Knowing and recognizing the signs of head and neck cancer can save lives. Symptoms can include: a mouth sore that bleeds easily and doesn’t heal; a lump or thickening anywhere in your mouth or neck; soreness or swelling in the mouth that doesn’t go away; a red or white patch that doesn’t go away; and trouble chewing, swallowing, or moving your tongue or jaw.

In addition to the risk of developing cancer, chewing tobacco can also cause conditions like leukoplakia, a disease of the mouth involving leathery patches on the tongue and inside of the cheeks. Heart disease and gum and tooth diseases can also result from long-term use of these products.

Other conditions can cause the symptoms noted above, but the AAO-HNS recommends tobacco users experiencing these warning signs be examined by an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in treating conditions of the ears, nose, and throat. When found early, most cancers in the head and neck can be treated effectively.

Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS)