A new study led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found that India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in South Asia, largely due to the widespread use of smokeless tobacco products and areca nut (also known as betel nut).
The study, published in The Lancet Oncology, showed that in 2022, India recorded 83,400 out of the 120,200 global oral cancer cases linked to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use.
In women, oral cancer was mostly caused by consuming areca nut (30%), betel quid with tobacco (28%), gutka (21%), and khaini (21%). For men, khaini (47%) and gutka (43%) were the leading causes, followed by betel quid with tobacco (33%) and areca nut (32%).
"Smokeless tobacco and areca nut products are available to consumers in many different forms across the world, but consuming smokeless tobacco and areca nut is linked to multiple diseases, including oral cancer," said Dr. Harriet Rumgay from IARC. The study also emphasized that by avoiding these products, nearly one-third (31%) of all oral cancer cases could be prevented.
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Most of the oral cancer cases (95%) caused by these substances occur in low- and middle-income countries, with India leading, followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China.
The study stresses the importance of prevention, noting that while efforts to control smoking have improved, actions to curb smokeless tobacco use and regulate areca nut remain inadequate. It calls for stronger efforts to reduce the consumption of these harmful products as part of broader cancer control programs.