Air pollution linked to developing oral cancer

Exposure to air pollution has been linked to developing oral cancer in a new study.

Taiwanese men were more likely to develop oral cancer if they were exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter – particles suspended in the atmosphere, researchers found.

The new study, published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine, examined data from a range of different sources including the Taiwan Cancer Registry and the nation’s air quality database.

Levels of air pollutants were measured in 2009 and then the authors tracked the health of around 480,000 Taiwanese men including cases of oral cancer registered from 2012 to 2013.

Overall there were 1,617 cases of oral cancer identified during the follow-up period.