Greater intake of alcohol may drive up head and neck cancer risk in men and women.

This study assessed the risk of developing cancer in the head and neck region based on the level of consumption of alcohol. Researchers followed more than 11.7 million Korean men and women and tracked their alcohol usage and head and neck cancer diagnosis status over a 6.4-year period. 

Researchers observed that the odds of having cancer of the pharynx, larynx, and mouth went up with increase in the frequency and quantities of alcohol consumed. This study lend credence to the notion that alcohol intake may put an individual on the path to developing cancer in the head and neck region, including pharyngeal, laryngeal, and oral cancer.