Alcoholism in cancer of the head and neck

One hundred patients with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer were investigated carefully for a history of alcoholism. A majority of cases had a severe drinking problem; in fact, alcoholism was twice as common as initially anticipated. Patients were frequently able to hide the problem from their physician. Often the true diagnosis was obtained only by closely questioning relatives and friends. Most patients with cancer of the tongue, tonsil and oro-pharynx were alcoholic. About one-half of the patients with supraglottic carcinoma were alcoholic. In the nasopharnx and true vocal cords, there was no association with heavy drinking. The study is of epidemiological interest but also has implications in the management of the malignancy, depending upon the anatomic site involved.