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Head & Neck Oncology Program

Hypopharyngeal Cancer

What Is Hypopharyngeal Cancer? | Risk Factors | Symptoms and Diagnosis | Stages and Treatment Options | About Clinical Trials | Greenebaum Cancer Center

Risk Factors

According to the American Cancer Society, about 2,850 new cases of hypopharyngeal cancer were diagnosed in 2009. The primary risk factors for the disease are alcohol abuse and smoking.

A smoker has a 5-35 times greater risk than a nonsmoker of developing the disease, and a heavy drinker has a 2-5 times greater risk than a nondrinker of developing the disease. If a person is both a heavy drinker and a heavy smoker, the risk is even greater. Because these behavioral risk factors are more common among men than among women, men are more likely than women to develop hypopharyngeal cancer.

Other risk factors for the disease include the following:

  • Age: Hypopharyngeal cancer is most common among people in their sixties and older.

  • Race: African Americans have a greater risk than whites.

  • Poor nutrition: Poor eating habits are often associated with alcohol abuse and may be the reason that the incidence of hypopharyngeal cancer is greater among heavy drinkers.

  • Gastroesophageal reflux: When stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, it can damage the lining of the esophagus and hypopharynx, which increases the risk that cancer might form.

Most hypopharyngeal cancers can be prevented by not smoking or abusing alcohol and by getting treated for gastroesophageal reflux.


This page was last updated on: January 29, 2010.