7. Age and Gender – Unalterable Risk Factors for Throat Cancer
While age and gender are not causes of throat cancer in themselves, they are significant risk factors. Throat cancer is more common in older adults and is more often diagnosed in men than in women.
As we age, our bodies’ ability to repair DNA damage decreases. This means that the longer we live, the more opportunities there are for genetic damage to accumulate and for cancer to develop. For this reason, most throat cancers are diagnosed in people over the age of 65.
In terms of gender, men are two to four times more likely than women to develop throat cancer. This disparity may be due, in part, to lifestyle factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, which are more common in men. However, the exact reasons for this gender difference are not entirely understood and are likely the result of a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. (7)
