Squamous cell carcinoma of the neck is caused by damage to epithelial cells in organs such as the larynx and pharynx, often due to tobacco and alcohol consumption. Other risk factors include exposure to environmental irritants and certain types of HPV. Genetic factors also play a role. Treatment options include gene alteration, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.
Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that originates in specific cells known as skin cells. Epithelial cells typically form the outermost layer of a body surface and are found in organs such as the skin, larynx, which refers to the organ that contains the vocal cords, pharynx, which refers to the entire throat, cavity oral and cervix. Squamous cell carcinoma of the neck occurs when cancerous cells originate in epithelial cells found on organs in the neck, including the larynx, pharynx, oral cavity, thyroid, and salivary glands.
Researchers have noted a strong link between tobacco and alcohol consumption and the occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the neck. When the epithelial cells that make up the surfaces of the neck organs are exposed to these two environmental influences, they are often damaged. Generally, the toxins in these two substances damage the genetic material in the cell. This damage can affect cell reproduction by making it impossible for the skin cell to reproduce a healthy replica and increasing the likelihood that these cells will start producing cancerous cells instead.
Other possible risk factors for developing neck squamous cell carcinoma include exposure to environmental irritants such as cement dust, paint fumes, and wood dust. There is also an established connection between the presence of specific forms of human papilloma virus (HPV) known as type 16 and type 18 and the occurrence of neck cancer. In many cases, cancerous neck tumors that occur in the presence of HPV have a better prognosis than those without, although the precise reasons for this are unclear.
Despite the strong relationship between some environmental factors and squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, there are hereditary factors that play an important role in the likelihood of developing this type of cancer. Research has indicated that an individual’s genetic makeup increases their risk of neck cancer by controlling how each individual’s body is wired to deal with exposure to dangerous environmental triggers such as alcohol and tobacco. It is therefore very likely that a combination of genetic variability and exposure to environmental factors puts a person at risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the neck.
There are many different treatment options available. The most advanced treatments are those oriented towards gene alteration. Other options include radiation therapy, in which radiation is aimed at killing the cancer cells that make up a tumor, chemotherapy, in which cancer-killing drugs are used, and surgery to remove cancer from the neck.
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