Evaluation of Risk Factors in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Case Control Study

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Since there are many factors that influence the development of cancer, identifying risk factors plays an important role in cancer prevention. The aim of this study was therefore to identify the risk factors for HNSCC in Mashhad, Iran. METHODS: In this case-control study, 76 patients with HNSCC were included as the case and 91 healthy people as the control group. A checklist of risk factors was completed for each participant and the two groups were compared for the presence of risk factors. Chi-square, t test, and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the data. Odds ratios (ORs) for several factors have also been determined. FINDINGS: The educational level and body mass index (BMI) of the patients in the case group were significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.001). Moreover, there were significant differences between the two groups in terms of risk factors such as tobacco smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and its duration (P=0.001, P<0.001, P=0.05), as well as the duration of hookah smoking, opium consumed per day and use of alcohol (P=0.023, P<0.001, P=0.015). CONCLUSION: There was a direct relationship between HNSCC and risk factors such as cigarette smoking, number of cigarettes smoked per day, duration of cigarette consumption and hookah, opium consumed per day, and alcohol use. However, extensive studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better assess the impact of these factors and generalize the results.