How to Prevent Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancers are cancers that affect an area of your head or neck. They can affect your mouth, nose, throat, lips, voice box, salivary glands, or other parts of your head and neck. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and begin to grow out of control. Over time, the cancer can spread to other areas of the body.

Certain factors may make you more likely to develop head or neck cancer. Some of these factors are related to lifestyle choices, such as the use of tobacco or alcohol. By making a few lifestyle changes and taking some precautions, you can lower your risk of getting this type of cancer.

What can I do to lower my risk?

Smoking and Alcohol

• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Do not smoke marijuana.
• Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.

Eating and Drinking

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of:
  • Fruits and vegetables.
  • Healthy fats, such as olive oil and canola oil, flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds, and seeds.
  • Lean sources of protein, such as fish, skinless chicken or turkey, egg whites, and nuts.
• Make sure you get enough vitamin A and the B vitamins. Foods high in these vitamins include sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, and dark green, leafy vegetables.
• Limit your intake of:
  • Foods with added sugars.
  • Saturated fats, such as fatty cuts of meat, chicken with skin, butter, and cream.
  • Processed and prepackaged foods.

Safety

• Practice safe sex to avoid getting the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that may increase the risk for some types of head and neck cancer.
  • Use condoms during sex.
  • Have only one sex partner. Avoid having sex with people who have had many sex partners.
  • Get the HPV vaccine.
• Avoid workplace exposure to asbestos, wood dust, paint fumes, and other hazardous chemicals.
• Use sunscreen whenever you are out in the sun.

Other Preventive Steps

• If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), take medicines to manage the condition as told by your health care provider. GERD causes stomach acid to back up into the esophagus. The acid can lead to the breakdown of tissue and then to cancer.
• Practice good oral hygiene. This includes flossing and brushing your teeth every day.
• If you have dentures, take proper care of them and clean them as told. Poor fitting dentures can cause tobacco and other harmful substances to become trapped. This may increase your risk of cancer.

Why are these changes important?

In addition to making you less likely to get head and neck cancer, these changes will also provide other health benefits, such as the following:

• Practicing safe sex will help prevent all sexually transmitted diseases.
• Limiting alcohol and quitting tobacco use can reduce your risk for other types of cancer and other health problems.
• Eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk for many types of cancer and other health problems.
• Avoiding toxic chemicals, such as asbestos, can help limit damage to the tissues of the lungs, mouth, throat, and other parts of the head and neck.

What can happen if changes are not made?

If you do not take these steps to reduce your risk, you may be more likely to develop head or neck cancer. When several risk factors are combined, such as smoking and heavy drinking, the risks for cancer multiply. Tobacco use, exposure to toxic chemicals, GERD, or other factors can lead to the breakdown of head and neck tissues. Cancerous cells or tumors may then develop in the areas of tissue breakdown.

Where to find support

If you need help to quit smoking or using tobacco, visit these websites:

• SmokeFree.gov: smokefree.gov  
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: betobaccofree.hhs.gov  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov  

If you need help to quit drinking alcohol, visit these websites:

• Alcoholic Anonymous: www.aa.org  
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov  

Your health care provider or a dietitian can help you create a healthy diet plan that can help reduce your risk of cancer.

Some risk factors for head and neck cancer are passed down through families. Talk to your health care provider or genetic counselor to learn more about genetic testing for cancer.

Where to find more information

Learn more about head and neck cancer from:

• American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org  
• National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov  
• American Institute for Cancer Research: www.aicr.org  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov  

Summary

• By making some lifestyle changes and taking some precautions, you can reduce your risk of getting head and neck cancer.
• Important steps you can take include avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, and eating healthy.
• Practice safe sex to avoid getting the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection can increase your risk of head and neck cancers.