EXPERTS have warned of a surge of deadly cancers fuelled by smoking, drinking and oral sex in England. Scientists from the University of Sheffield analysed data from 2013 to 2020 and found a significant increase in the cancers - with one type in particular seeing a 47 per cent rise in diagnoses. Head and neck cancer is a general term used to describe cancers that start in the tissues in these areas.
There are more than 30 parts the head and neck where cancer can develop. These include the mouth , lips, voicebox, throat, nose, sinuses and salivary glands. Signs of the cancers can range from persistent ulcers to a sore tongue or a hoarse voice that doesn't go away.
Read more on cancer According to the NHS , there are about 12,400 new cases of head and neck cancer diagnosed every year. A new report penned by University of Sheffield scientists in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care warned of a significant increase in cancers in England over the last few years. It found that 10,735 cases of head and neck cancer were reported in England in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic .
Data suggested that the upwards trend continued into 2021, with over 11,000 new cases recorded Most read in Health The report suggested that deaths from head and neck cancer were also rising. Some 3,469 people died of head and neck cancers in 2020, an increase from 3,313 deaths reported in 2019. And while mortality rates for most other cancers fell during the pandemic, those for he.
