New Delhi: India leads South Asia in oral cancer cases, largely due to the widespread use of smokeless tobacco products such as betel quid with tobacco, gutka, and khaini, along with areca nut, according to a study released on Wednesday.
The study, conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and published in *The Lancet Oncology* journal, revealed that India accounted for 83,400 of the 120,200 global oral cancer cases in 2022 linked to smokeless tobacco (chewed, sucked, inhaled, applied locally, or ingested) and areca nut (the seed of the areca palm).
The consumption of areca nut (30%) and betel quid with tobacco (28%) accounted for the highest number of oral cancer cases among women, followed by gutka (21%) and khaini (21%).
For men, khaini (47%) led to the most cases, followed by gutka (43%), betel quid with tobacco (33%), and areca nut (32%).
“Smokeless tobacco and areca nut products come in many forms worldwide, but their consumption is linked to multiple diseases, including oral cancer,” said Dr. Harriet Rumgay, a scientist in the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC.
Dr. Rumgay added, “We found that more than 120,000 people globally were diagnosed with oral cancer that may have been caused by smokeless tobacco or areca nut use. These estimates highlight the strain these products place on healthcare systems and underscore the importance of prevention strategies to reduce their consumption.”
The IARC study revealed that of the 389,800 oral cancer cases in 2022, 120,200 could be attributed to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use. This suggests that preventing the use of these products could avert nearly one-third (31%) of all oral cancer cases.
Moreover, more than 95% of oral cancer cases caused by smokeless tobacco and areca nut occurred in low- and middle-income countries (115,900 cases). India led with the highest number of cases, followed by Bangladesh (9,700), Pakistan (8,900), China (3,200), Myanmar (1,600), Sri Lanka (1,300), Indonesia (990), and Thailand (785).
“While tobacco smoking control has improved, smokeless tobacco prevention has stalled, and areca nut remains largely unregulated,” noted Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC.
The study urged for stronger smokeless tobacco control and the development of a framework for areca nut prevention, which should be integrated into cancer control programmes.
