New research has revealed that young adults who smoke, drink and eat avoid eating fruit and vegetables are at higher risk of developing cancers of the mouth, oesophagus and larynx.
Experts from the University of Aberdeen looked at 350 patients under the age of 50 with upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers, and 400 patients without these diseases over a five-year period to determine what factors were the major triggers of these cancers in this age group.
The results of the study showed that 88 per cent of UADT cancers were caused by the use of tobacco, alcohol consumption and/or a lack of fruit and vegetables in a person's diet .
Gary Macfarlane, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Aberdeen and lead author of the study said: "Cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract are on the increase throughout the world and to date the increases have been greatest in young adults under the age of 50."
"For example, we have witnessed a doubling of oral cancer rates in 40-49 year old men in the UK over the last 20 years."
"Our study aimed to determine whether smoking, alcohol consumption and low fruit and vegetable intake remained the most significant risk factors for UADT cancers in this age group, or whether other novel factors including genetics and infection could be relatively more important."
"The findings confirmed that smoking tobacco, heavy alcohol consumption and a lack of fruit and vegetable in a person's diet remained the most important causes of cancers of the UADT."
He added: "The increase in the occurrence of UADT cancers in this age group is likely to be linked to increased alcohol consumption and future studies will determine whether binge drinking carries a particularly high risk."
More than 100,000 people across Europe (1,000 in the UK) die from UADT cancers each year.
