Pharyngeal Cancer- risk factors,

• Age over 40
• Male sex
• Smoking
• Chewing tobacco
• Heavy alcohol use
• Oral lichen planus (a chronic autoimmune disease manifesting as lacy white patches in the mouth or throat)
• Human papillomavirus infection, especially in oropharyngeal cancers
• Epstein-Barr virus infection, especially in nasopharyngeal cancers
• Southern Chinese or South Asian ancestry, primarily in nasopharyngeal cancers
• Diet low in fruits and vegetables/antioxidants (oropharyngeal/hypopharyngeal)
• Plummer-Vinson syndrome (hypopharyngeal cancer)
• Drinking maté, a stimulant drink common in South America (oropharyngeal cancer)
• Leukoplakia (white patches in the mouth or throat) (oropharyngeal cancer)
• Erythroplakia (red patches in the mouth or throat) (oropharyngeal cancer)
• Chewing betel quid, a stimulant commonly used in parts of Asia (oropharyngeal cancer)