Daily cannabis use potentially linked to head, neck cancers

A new study found that patients diagnosed with cannabis use disorder may have an increased overall risk of developing head and neck cancers.

In the study, published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, investigators analyzed a database of 4 million electronic health records and found more than 116,000 diagnoses of cannabis use disorder among patients with head and neck cancers.

The investigators discovered that compared with those who didn’t have cannabis use disorder, the patients who had cannabis use disorder had about a 3.5-times higher risk of developing any head and neck cancers — especially oral, oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancers.

The findings suggested that biological mechanisms linking cannabis use to head and neck cancers may include the inflammatory effects of carcinogen-containing cannabis smoke and the role of tetrahydrocannabinol in activating enzymes that convert polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into carcinogens.

Further studies are needed to validate the results of the study and better understand the mechanism of the association between cannabis use and head and neck cancers.

Read more: JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

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