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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Cannabis addiction triples oral cancer risk in just five years, study finds
Cannabis is legal in many parts of the world. But that does not mean it is without risk. A new study titled 'Cannabis use disorder and five-year risk of oral cancer in a multicenter clinical cohort', published in Preventive Medicine Reports, has found that individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (CUD) face more than triple the risk of developing oral cancer, specifically cancers of the lip or tongue, within just five years. Drawing on the medical records of over 45,000 patients from six University of California medical centres, the research raises important concerns about the long-term consequences of heavy and problematic cannabis use. What is cannabis use disorder? Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a clinical diagnosis for problematic cannabis use that disrupts daily life. It does not just mean occasional recreational smoking, it reflects frequent consumption that can lead to dependence. Previous studies have shown that people smoking about 14 or more joints a week often meet the criteria. In this study, CUD was identified through medical records with formal diagnostic codes, making it a reliable marker for heavy and sustained cannabis exposure. Link between CUD and oral cancer The study followed 45,129 adults who had no oral cancer at the start. Over five years, 949 developed CUD. Of these, 0.74 per cent went on to develop oral cancer, compared to just 0.23 per cent among those without CUD. After adjusting for factors like age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status, CUD patients still had a 3.25 times higher risk of oral cancer. Among smokers, the risk shot up even more, those with both CUD and a smoking history had a six-fold increased risk. How cannabis may raise oral cancer risk Cannabis smoke contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo[a]pyrene, and phenols. These toxins can damage the cells lining the mouth and respiratory tract, causing precancerous changes even without tobacco use. Laboratory studies show cannabis smoke can damage DNA, trigger mutations, and suppress immune defences, especially in tissues directly exposed to the smoke, like the mouth, lips, and lungs. Doctors urge oral checks for cannabis users CUD is on the rise. Yet many heavy users do not see their habit as dangerous, say experts. This study challenges that perception, showing measurable cancer risk over a relatively short period. Researchers of the study warn that CUD may also be linked to other overlapping social and behavioural risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and reduced engagement in preventive healthcare, which can further raise cancer risk.
New York Post
04-08-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Pairing cigarettes with this other habit ups your chance of oral cancer by 624% in the next 5 years
Smoking leaves more than just a bad taste in your mouth — it could be fueling your oral cancer risk. Studies have consistently reported that cigarette users are five to 10 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-smokers. A new study out of UC San Diego suggests that a chronic weed habit carries a higher risk of oral cancer as well. Researchers determined that people who often smoke marijuana are 3.25 times more likely to contract the disease within five years compared to those without cannabis use disorder. Advertisement 3 Researchers determined that people who often smoke marijuana are 3.25 times more likely to develop oral cancer within five years compared to those without cannabis use disorder. Getty Images/iStockphoto 'Cannabis smoke contains many of the same carcinogenic compounds found in tobacco smoke, which have known damaging effects on the epithelial tissue that lines the mouth,' said Raphael Cuomo, an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and member of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. 'These findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that chronic or problematic cannabis use may contribute to cancer risk in tissues exposed to combustion products.' Advertisement Oral cancer encompasses cancers of the lips, tongue, gums and the lining of the cheeks and mouth. The American Cancer Society projects that there will be nearly 60,000 new US cases of oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer this year and about 12,800 deaths. 3 Oral cancer encompasses cancers of the lips, tongue, gums and the lining of the cheeks and mouth. TommyStockProject – Known risk factors of oral cancer include tobacco use, chronic alcohol consumption and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Advertisement Cuomo's team analyzed health data from over 45,000 oral cancer patients, including 949 who had been formally diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. They accounted for age, sex, body mass index and smoking status. They calculated that tobacco smokers with a cannabis addiction are 624% more likely to contract oral cancer within five years compared to cigarette users not prone to smoking marijuana. The researchers posited that the inhaled smoke is to blame because it can damage mouth tissues. Advertisement Edibles and beverages infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis, don't seem to carry a similar oral cancer risk as smoking weed. 'Research is still evolving, so regular self-checks and dental exams remain wise for all cannabis users,' Cuomo told The Post. His findings were published in the September edition of Preventive Medicine Reports. 3 Studies have consistently reported that cigarette users are five to 10 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-smokers. The risk goes up if cigarette smokers also smoke weed. Getty Images/iStockphoto The researchers emphasized that there should be more exploration of the long-term effects of cannabis, and oral health awareness should be highlighted in substance use disorder treatment and counseling. The UCSD study is not the first to sound the alarm about cannabis use and cancer. A 2024 study out of the University of Southern California linked daily marijuana use to a three to five-fold increase in the risk of head and neck cancers. Oral cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. Advertisement Cuomo suggests seeing a dentist or an ear, nose and throat specialist if you have a sore, ulcer or red or white patch in your mouth that has not healed after two weeks, especially if you have a lump, numbness, bleeding or pain when swallowing. 'Early evaluation is critical because oral cancers caught in the first stage are usually curable,' he said.
CNN
03-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
Carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected in several traveler deaths. Here's how to stay safe on your next trip
Carbon monoxide, often called the 'silent killer,' has no taste, odor or color, yet prolonged inhalation of the invisible gas has been tied to the recent deaths of several American tourists traveling abroad. In March, 14-year-old Miller Gardner, son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner, died on a family vacation at a Costa Rica beach resort. A month prior, three American women were discovered dead in their Belize hotel room. In both cases, authorities have said carbon monoxide poisoning caused the deaths. While many homes in the U.S. are equipped with alarms that detect the presence of the dangerous gas, travelers may need to take extra precautions to limit their exposure on the road. Carbon monoxide is produced when natural gas is burned in appliances like boilers, pool heaters, gas stoves, fireplaces and dryers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 'Every carbon monoxide producing appliance is designed to take those toxic fuels out of the building,' said Charon McNabb, founder of the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Foundation. Without regular maintenance, McNabb said venting systems can corrode or shift, creating leak pathways for carbon monoxide to remain trapped indoors. The gas is then capable of traveling into nearby rooms through drywall, doors and air ducts. A buildup of carbon monoxide in the air can diminish your ability to absorb oxygen, resulting in serious or fatal tissue damage to the brain, heart and muscles. According to a 2019 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports, 905 U.S. lodging guests were poisoned by carbon monoxide from 2005 to 2018, resulting in 22 deaths. In the U.S., requirements for carbon monoxide detectors in homes and hotels differ by state, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. While vacation rental platforms like VRBO and Airbnb only require listed units to meet local regulations, owners can indicate whether a carbon monoxide alarm is present on the property within their listings. McNabb advises travelers booking accommodations to call ahead of their stay to check for the presence of detectors in each guest room and ask about the location of their room within the building. 'Travelers may want to stay away from (rooms next to) pools and pool heaters because typically, the chemicals for the pools are kept in the mechanical room where the heater is stored, and those chemicals can corrode the metal much quicker, creating leak paths,' McNabb said, adding that rooms on higher floors can also provide a safer distance from gas-powered yard equipment. 'If you're not totally confident in the answers you get, play it safe and bring your own (carbon monoxide) alarm,' McNabb said. Portable alarms are battery or outlet powered, pocket-sized devices capable of monitoring CO levels and alerting the user of unsafe levels. TSA permits travelling with carbon monoxide alarms, but lithium batteries should be taken out of the device and placed in carry-on luggage. Kos Galatsis, CEO of Forensics Detectors, which sells air quality monitoring devices, suggests travelers keep the alarm by their bedside, as many poisonings occur while stationary or sleeping. Prices for portable CO alarms online range drastically, but the most important feature to look out for is a UL 2034 certification, which designates the device is in line with national product safety standards. Campers should avoid using portable gas stoves, gas-powered lanterns, power generators and flameless chemical heaters inside of tents, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This is especially important when camping in high altitudes, where the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is increased. Tents should also be pitched away from idling vehicles and campfire, according to the CPSC. Initial symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure can easily be mistaken for the flu, jet lag or stomach bugs. Signs of poisoning, according to Mayo Clinic, include: - Dull headache - Weakness - Dizziness - Nausea or vomiting - Shortness of breath - Confusion - Blurred vision - Loss of consciousness High levels of exposure can cause symptoms such as mental confusion and loss of muscle control to develop more rapidly. If you or fellow travelers experience any of these symptoms, seek fresh air and medical advice immediately.
Reuters
21-02-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Health Rounds: Swabs as good as unpleasant speculum exam for detecting cancer-causing HPV
Feb 21 (Reuters) - (This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here) Women can safely skip the unpleasant speculum-based exam for human papillomavirus screening and instead test for the virus themselves using a vaginal swab, two new studies confirm. Genital HPV infections are thought to be responsible for more than 99% of cervical cancers. At least partly because the speculum exam can be uncomfortable or even painful, 'half of the women in the U.S. who have cervical cancer did not undergo a screening test in the past ten years," Dr. Diane Harper of the University of Michigan, who led both studies, said in a statement "We should try to make (the test) a more comfortable experience,' she added. Countries that have adopted self-screening for HPV, including Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands, have also reduced their incidence of cervical cancer, Harper noted. The researchers recruited 193 women, ages 25 to 65, and instructed them to use vaginal swabs, which were then sent to the laboratory. The volunteers also underwent speculum exams. Testing of all the samples for 15 high-risk HPV types showed that 'using swabs is equivalent to speculum-based collection,' Harper said. The swab test results, as reported in Preventive Medicine Reports, opens new tab, were in agreement with global data on HPV prevalence, reinforcing the usefulness of vaginal swabs, the researchers said. A separate study published in JAMA Network Open, opens new tab, involving 56 women with physical disabilities, found the vaginal swabs to be equally effective and much less painful and traumatic than speculum-based screening. 'The swabs cannot replace having a conversation with your doctor. However, it can save the vast majority of women from getting unnecessary speculum tests,' Harper said. PAXLOVID BENEFIT IN VACCINATED SENIORS PROVES MINIMAL Pfizer's (PFE.N), opens new tab anti-viral Paxlovid provided little protective benefit against severe COVID-19 in a study of the treatment in older Canadians who had been vaccinated against the virus, researchers reported on Thursday in JAMA, opens new tab. For eight months in 2022, the province of Ontario, Canada restricted the use of Paxlovid to symptomatic, COVID-19-positive adults aged 70 years and older, unless patients were immunocompromised or had other risk factors. During that period, among 1.6 million vaccinated Ontario residents ages 65 to 74, the policy to restrict Paxlovid to those aged 70 and older resulted in a more than doubling of Paxlovid prescriptions, but no improvement in COVID-related hospitalization, all-cause hospitalization, or all-cause mortality in that age group, according to the report. 'Our study effectively rules out the notion that Paxlovid causes large reductions in COVID-19 hospitalization in vaccinated older adults,' study leader Dr. John Mafi of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said in a statement. A course of the two-drug treatment costs well over a $1,000, he noted. 'While we cannot rule out a small reduction in COVID-19 hospitalization, our results indicate that at best, Paxlovid's potential effect on COVID-19 hospitalization among vaccinated older adults is four times weaker than the effect originally reported in Pfizer's 2022 clinical trial.' US MAY BE FACING CRITICAL HOSPITAL BED SHORTAGE A reduction in staffed hospital beds is putting the United States on track for a hospital bed shortage, a new study suggests. In 2024, the national hospital occupancy average was 75%, up from an average of about 64% in the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open, opens new tab. Rather than being due to an increase in hospitalizations, the rise was driven by a 16% reduction in the number of staffed hospital beds, that is, beds for which staff are on hand to care for patients, the researchers found. 'Our study was not designed to investigate the cause of the decline in staffed hospital beds, but other literature suggests it may be due to healthcare staffing shortages, primarily among registered nurses, as well as hospital closures partially driven by the practice of private equity firms purchasing hospitals,' study leader Dr. Richard Leuchter of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said in a statement. To determine the risk of a national bed shortage, the authors estimated annual hospitalizations from 2025 through 2035, taking into account an expected jump in hospitalizations due to an aging U.S. population. If hospitalization rates and hospital bed supply do not change, average national hospital occupancy could reach 85% by 2032 for adult hospital beds, they found. 'For general hospital beds that are not ICU-level, many consider a bed shortage to occur at an 85% national hospital occupancy, marked by unacceptably long waiting times in emergency departments, medication errors, and other in-hospital adverse events,' Leuchter said. If there were a sustained national hospital occupancy of 85% or greater, the result could be thousands of U.S. deaths each year that would not otherwise have occurred, he said. here.
