Hypopharyngeal cancer causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Faizan Sheraz, M.D. [2]

Overview

Causes of hypopharyngeal cancer include smoking, chewing tobacco, heavy alcohol use, and Plummer-Vinson syndrome

Causes

Causes of hypopharyngeal cancer include:

Causes	Description
Smoking	Alterations may change a normal DNA sequence to an oncogene, a gene that causes cancer after exposure to a carcinogen. Squamous cells, a type of cell that lines hollow organs like the throat, mouth, lungs, and outer layer of skin, are particularly vulnerable when exposed to cigarette smoke.
Chewing tobacco	The chewing tobacco is placed into the mouth, leaving it exposed to enzymes, like amylase, which partly digests the carcinogenic material. Saliva is swallowed, along with the cancer-promoting material, which passes through the hypopharynx on its way to the esophagus.
Heavy alcohol use	Heavy alcohol use is linked to hypopharyngeal cancer as well. Alcohol damages the lining of the hypopharynx, increasing the amount of chemicals that are allowed to seep into the underlying membranes. Heavy alcohol use is also associated with nutritional deficiencies.
Plummer-Vinson syndrome	A genetic disorder that causes a long-term iron deficiency, may also lead to hypopharyngeal cancer. Other factors like a deficiency in certain vitamins also appear to contribute to this type of cancer.