The Silent Death knell: Oral Cancer caused by smokeless tobacco products

A groundbreaking study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has unfolded the significant role of smokeless tobacco and areca nut in oral cancer cases worldwide. As per the research, published in The Lancet Oncology, smokeless tobacco products were responsible for one in three oral cancer cases globally in 2022.

Key findings reveal that more than 120,000 oral cancer cases were attributed to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use. Most alarming is the fact that 88% of these cases occurred in South-Central Asia, with over 95% affecting low- and middle-income countries.

The study highlights the acute need to strengthen tobacco control measures, particularly in regions where smokeless tobacco and areca nut use is widely prevalent. Many of these cases, researchers underline, could be prevented through effective control policies and timely public health interventions.

This pivotal research underscores the critical importance of including smokeless tobacco and areca nut in global cancer prevention strategies, especially in regions bearing the heaviest burden of oral cancer.

Read all about it below.