John Farnham: Doctors issue urgent warning to Aussies who live like pop star

Days after John Farnham was diagnosed with mouth cancer and had part of his jaw removed, doctors have issued an urgent warning about the staggering dangers of smoking and drinking.

Smoking is responsible for one in five cancers in Australia, but doing it while drinking is far more dangerous than either smoking or drinking on their own, several experts warned. 

People who smoke and drink face 35 times the risk of developing head and neck cancer than people who do neither, but the biggest concern is the way chemicals in cigarette smoke target vulnerable cells.

Farnham, 73, had part of his jaw removed during an eleven-and-a-half hour surgery in Melbourne this week to remove a tumour from his mouth. 

The cause of Farnham’s illness is not confirmed, but he had a long battle with cigarettes until he was 70 and was also a drinker

Three-quarters of upper airway and digestive tract cancers are related to the combined use of alcohol and smoking, the Cancer Council said.

Federal Australian Medical Association President, Professor Steve Robson, said smoking and drinking together exponentially increases our chances of developing cancer in many cases.

‘The two things work together and make it much more likely that a cancerous tumour will develop,’ Professor Robson said.

Smoking is responsible for one in five cancers in Australia, but doing it while drinking is far more dangerous than either smoking or drinking on their own, several experts warned 

High profile cancer cases, such as Farnham’s and the tragic death of Olivia Newton-John after a breast cancer battle, encourage the public to focus on prevention

Farnham will likely have a tube inserted into his windpipe as he recovers in an intensive care unit from his extensive mouth cancer surgery and may never perform again.

The cause of Farnham’s illness is not confirmed, but he had a long battle with cigarettes until he was 70 and was also a drinker. Farnham began smoking cigarettes as a ‘stupid’ teenager then quit for 12 years in 1992.

He started smoking again in 2004 after being given a box of cigars, before quitting once again in 2019.

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford previously revealed that Farnham was given a ‘wake-up call’ by one of his sons, who told the singer ‘please stop smoking dad, I don’t want you to die’. 

There are many anecdotes in the showbiz industry about Farnham enjoying brandy shots before gigs and also vodka.

Three quarters of upper airway and digestive tract cancers are related to the combined use of alcohol and smoking, the Cancer Council’s Anita Dessaix said

Anita Dessaix of the Cancer Council said ‘up to 75 per cent of cancers of the upper airway and digestive tract can be related to alcohol plus smoking’.

‘The combined effects of smoking and alcohol greatly increase the risk of cancer (more so than from either of these factors alone),’ Ms Dessaix said. 

Anita Munoz of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said smoking and drinking at the same time can be so deadly because the carcinogens involved ‘synergize’.

‘The problem is the two activities often go hand-in-hand and when put together they can synergize and increase [the risk] of cancers.

‘In some cases the risk together is greater than the sum of the parts.’

Professor Robson explained how smoking and drinking interact so dangerously in the body. 

‘Alcohol is broken down into various substances that change how cells divide and that makes them more vulnerable.

‘The chemicals in cigarette smoke act at that vulnerable time and make it much more likely a vulnerable cell will become cancerous.’

He said high profile cancer cases, such as Farnham’s and the tragic death of Olivia Newton-John after a breast cancer battle, encourage the public to focus on prevention.

Anita Munoz, of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said smoking and drinking at the same time can be so deadly because the carcinogens involved ‘synergize’, while the AMA’s Steve Robson explained chemicals in cigarettes target vulnerable cells

‘It does help to start an important conversation about how various conditions begin, and how they’re treated and most importantly how to prevent them.’

Because the risk of cancer increases as we age, continuing to do both increases the risks, Dr Munoz said.

‘Many body systems are affected by smoking and alcohol so we encourage people to not smoke at all and to drink within recommended safe limits.’

The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.