Inflammation, Risk Factors and Etiopathogenesis of Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck malignancy is a critical disease across the globe as its incidence is on the rise. This malignancy comprises the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, paranasal sinus, nasopharynx, salivary glands, and thyroid malignancies. Multiple known risk factors have been strongly associated with the majority of these malignancies. Importantly, the majority of these known risk factors are intricately involved in the inflammation and its ecosystem. Of note, inflammation cascades and inflammatory markers play a dominant role in the pathogenesis of head and neck malignancy. Thus, it is crucial to understand the true process of each identified risk factor and its related inflammation process in the etiopathogenesis of head and neck malignancy. This can serve as an effective platform for the future development of potential agents for screening, prevention, and treatment of head and neck malignancy. This chapter will discuss the significant risk factors of head and neck malignancy and highlight the spectrum of inflammation process that governs the basis of carcinogenesis and its etiopathogenesis.

Keywords: Alcohol, Dietary factor, Epstein Barr virus (EBV), Head and neck malignancy, Human papilloma virus (HPV), Inflammatory markers, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Smoking.