#OralCancer

A leading Mayo Clinic physician has outlined three straightforward actions everyone can take to lower their risk of developing head and neck cancers, a group of potentially life-threatening diseases affecting the mouth, throat, and voice box. The recommendations underscore the importance of prevention at a time when incidence rates for certain types of these cancers are rising globally, including in Thailand. Public health experts emphasize that adopting these strategies could dramatically reduce the burden of cancer in both individuals and communities.

In the vibrant markets and shaded courtyards across Thailand and Southeast Asia, the distinctive reddish tinge of betel nut-chewers’ lips reveals a tradition as old as Thai civilization itself. The seed of the Areca catechu palm—better known as “หมาก” or “betel nut”—stands at the crossroads of culture, medicine, ritual, and modern controversy. Today, it continues to be revered as both a symbol of hospitality and a medicine of tradition, while modern research sheds new light on its potential and peril (Wikipedia).