Quit Chewing Tobacco: Slash Oral Cancer Risk

A comprehensive case-control study conducted between 2010 and 2022 across five Indian cancer centers reveals that ceasing tobacco consumption substantially lowers the risk of buccal mucosa cancer (BMC), a prevalent oral cancer. The research, involving over 4,600 participants, indicated that current smokers faced approximately six times the risk of BMC compared to non-smokers. The risk escalated dramatically for chewers, who experienced over 21 times the risk. Combining tobacco chewing with areca nut nearly doubled the danger compared to chewing alone. Quitting tobacco yields significant risk reduction. For instance, ceasing smoking for a decade or more can decrease the risk by about one-third, and for two decades, by less than half. Similarly, quitting chewing for ten years lowers risk by around one-quarter, and for twenty years, by about 40 percent. Despite risk reduction from quitting, former smokers still carried 2.5 times the risk and former chewers 12.5 times the risk compared to never-users. The study, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, underscores the critical need for expanded cessation programs targeting both smoking and chewing tobacco in India, which accounts for a third of global oral cancer cases. India is actively addressing this public health issue through over 675 tobacco cessation centers and a National Tobacco Quitline Service. While the quitline receives substantial call volume, capacity for response remains a challenge. Successful quitting is often linked to strong family support, with approximately 25 percent of counseled individuals quitting tobacco in the last six years.