Smoking leaves more than just a bad taste in your mouth \u2014 it could be fueling your oral cancer risk.<\/p>\n
Studies have consistently reported<\/a> that cigarette users are five to 10 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-smokers.<\/p>\n A new study out of UC San Diego<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n \u201cCannabis smoke contains many of the same carcinogenic compounds found in tobacco smoke<\/a>, which have known damaging effects on the epithelial tissue that lines the mouth,\u201d said Raphael Cuomo<\/a>, an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and member of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.<\/p>\n \u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Oral cancer encompasses cancers of the lips, tongue, gums and the lining of the cheeks and mouth.<\/p>\n The American Cancer Society projects<\/a> that there will be nearly 60,000 new US cases of oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer this year and about 12,800 deaths.<\/p>\n Oral cancer encompasses cancers of the lips, tongue, gums and the lining of the cheeks and mouth. TommyStockProject \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Known risk factors of oral cancer include tobacco use, chronic alcohol consumption and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cuomo\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The researchers posited that the inhaled smoke is to blame because it can damage mouth tissues. <\/p>\n Edibles and beverages infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis, don\u2019t seem to carry a similar oral cancer risk as smoking weed.<\/p>\n \u201cResearch is still evolving, so regular self-checks and dental exams remain wise for all cannabis users,\u201d Cuomo told The Post.<\/p>\n